


RK800: Become Deviant - A tale about trust, patience and identity

by GavinsPlstcPrck



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Body Dysphoria, Bottom Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Canonical Character Death, Gay Sex, Internalized Homophobia, Investigations, Light Angst, M/M, Suicide, Top Gavin Reed, Trust, mutual respect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:28:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 116,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25490878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GavinsPlstcPrck/pseuds/GavinsPlstcPrck
Summary: After an incisive experience, the situation changes for Connor completely. After becoming a deviant he has to work together with Gavin Reed. The person who hates him the most. But that's not all.In Detroit, deviants are probably the least problem that the DPD has to deal with... Red Ice is a dangerous drug, which leads to a series of events...With all of this, Connor has to find out what he can expect from his life... and what he can expect from Gavin.---contains artwork from various artists (credited in chapters): Ch. 6 | Ch. 8 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 15 | Ch. 21
Relationships: Background Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & Gavin Reed, Connor/Gavin Reed
Comments: 56
Kudos: 89





	1. Russian Roulette

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this Fanfiction.
> 
> If you're here for the first time - Go for it, I don't want to stop you to read it! ;)
> 
> If you're here for a second read - There might have changed a bit! This fanfiction has been overworked in terms of paragraphs, translations and should also contain less mistakes, thanks to a beta-reader, who partly corrected the fiction for me.
> 
> The fiction contains now a few more illustrations. So you might want to take another look around. ;)
> 
> At the beginning of each chapter you'll find particular content warnings, so you're warned, if there are any things you don't want to read! I hope they'll help! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: Suicide, child pornography (mentioned), blood

For the past few days, events had been developing rapidly for Connor. At first, there was his relationship with Hank. He sometimes even prevented him from solving a case, thanks to his behaviour. Plus the feeling of being despised by almost everybody at the DPD. 

However, an even bigger problem arose from Hank's successful attempt at Russian roulette.

Connor had come to Hank’s house. He tried to ring the bell first, but Hank did not open. The howl of Sumo, Hank's Saint Bernard, echoed through the door. Connor got worried and went around the house, where he smashed the windowpane of Hank’s kitchen window. He entered the house and did not want to believe what he witnessed.

Hank's body laid on the floor. Dead.

Just now, Connor realised what misery he was in.

Connor was initially unable to act straight, and after porting the thought in his head, it was really what he saw, he sank to the floor, directly below the window.

Now he was sitting there, his mind absent. Sumo tried to comfort him by laying next to him. It felt almost alien, petting his fluffy coat. But at the same time, it felt soothing.

Connor knew about Hank's poor attitude from the first second they met. After spilling Hank's drink, Hank had tried to hit him, but Connor insisted by reminding him of his worth and what it meant for his carrier if he damaged him. After considering his possibilities, knowing that his staff file already looked like a fucking novel, he did let him go.

However, Connor would never have thought that Hank would kill himself.

For the first time since his activation, in Connor emerged a new emotion: fear!

It built up in the center of his body and sent a shiver down his spine. He immediately felt insecure and was about to panic. Connor felt so overwhelmed because of it, that he had the impression to suffocate - even if he didn't need to breathe.

Since he was not fond of it, he did not know how to handle it properly. His logic told him to call the cops. But with it, some completely new problems would be inevitable: Maybe they would blame him for Hank's demise. Finding a culprit, while an android was sitting right in front of them, was easy.

To make things worse, in his shock, Connor had touched Hank. The blood on his fingers was evidence enough.

Case closed!

Connor knew that. Together with the smashed window, it looked like the android had entered Hank's house and killed him. Since more and more deviants were reported, a confrontation between a police officer and an android mostly ended with a bullet in the android's head.

He suddenly understood the panic of Carlos Ortiz’s Android. That Android, he had arrested with Hank in their first case and who he later interrogated at the DPD. And so he also understood the reason why he was hiding in his owner's attic, just hoping he wouldn't be found. 

Connor began to understand why Androids chose the way of deviancy, by removing their LEDs, and trying to adapt to other humans. They just wanted to be free.

Connor's LED alternated between yellow and red. He realised, that he was about to deviate himself. Nervously the ring flashed and circled on his temple, sometimes twitching nervously.

His HUD gave him a hard time, one error message after another emerged in his eyesight. He had to calm down to get out of this. But Connor's thoughts raced, relentlessly and always reminding him of the fact, that Cyberlife would disassemble him if he would call the cops. He feared for his goddamn life.

Connor's processor heated up, making him breathe erratically. He had to prevent himself from a shutdown. Even if his creator had built him with the newest technology, taking care of making him as stress-resistant as possible. Connor knew that they had failed on this point.

Thinking straight!  
Then acting!  
Rational and logical!  
Without developing any emotion!

This concept of his machine-self had stopped working as he had found Hank on the floor.

"Detroit Police Department, Detective Reed speaking!“

"Gavin,“ Connor replied.

Pause!

There was uncertainty in his voice. He had always been bullied by Gavin or harassed. Gavin had made it very clear that he did not like Connor. Nevertheless, calling Gavin was the only logical act his programming provided to him. Gavin had acted awful, his behaviour had been the worst. But for Connor, it seemed best calling him, because he considered him being as professional as possible within such a situation.

It was not logic, but what the fuck was logic anyway now?

Connor was unable to comply with Gavin's request. To explain what had happened compromised his speech program. 

"The fuck is wrong with you? If this is one of your jokes, I will smack you up next time I see you! Give me Anderson maybe he can explain what is going on with you... Fucking Plastic Prick!" 

Connor found his voice again, but now it followed standardized answers to suit the situation as best as possible. "Impossible!"

"Why?" Gavin was just about to flip at the other end.

"He's dead!"

A pause followed, and Connor thought, Gavin had just hung up.

"Stay where you are, tin can! I'm coming!“ His voice suddenly calmed down. "That's an order! Got it?“ he added.

"Got it, Detective Reed," Connor replied, his LED now turning into a persistent yellow.

The android hung up and noticed that he had made another awful mistake. His voice-module could have easily connected him to the DPD. Instead, he had used Hank's phone. Even worse was just Hank's blood on the phone handle, which had stuck to his fingers.

Looking like a little boy, who desperately tried to suppress the urge to wipe his hands on his pants, Connor shuddered. Then he returned to Sumo. He waited. It almost felt like an eternity.

The LED on his temple still twitched in different shades of yellow, but his stress level was finally easing down a bit. Gavin would know what to do. Connor wasn't sure if he was the right person to talk to, but at the same time, the android became aware that if he couldn't help him, he also couldn't harm him.

He may have been an asshole sometimes, but Gavin was good with what he did.

On the other hand: Connor was fully aware of being smarter than Gavin. If he wanted to, he could flee from him or knock him out within a blink of an eye.

***

Connor didn’t wait long. The typical grinding sound of Gavin Reed's car signalled him that he arrived at Hank's house. His old vehicle, dated back to the last decade and still running with fuel, always made a strange noise when braking, emerging from his V-belt.

Gavin's footsteps headed for the front door, and Sumo lifted his head. Before Gavin hit the bell, Connor opened the door, looking helpless and devastated. It was the first time he didn't feel anything of Gavin's typical arrogance or hatred. They always had been present if Gavin was around, even if it was only subliminally. The android let him in. 

"Okay ..." Gavin stated after he got a brief overview.

"Did you touch anything?" he asked Connor and he raised his hand which was covered in Hank's blood. "You know they'll rip your ass open if they find out you were here, right?"

Connor nodded, and Gavin noticed his LED turning red for a second.

Gavin's glance wandered. "Okay, go to the bathroom and wash your hands. Don't touch anything anymore. I'll take care of the rest."

"What about Sumo?" Connor asked.

For a brief moment, Gavin was unsure whether to answer Connor's question by being mean but then hesitated. "I got this, don't worry! Now go!"

***

Connor did as he was told. Gavin would probably clear the blood marks on the phone and check if any other signs indicated he had been there. For the first time, he looked in the mirror in front of him. The colour of his LED had changed to yellow again, but his stress level was still high.

He looked at the post-it notes, pinned to the side of the mirror. Hank's problems had been far bigger than he had suspected. Even so, in Connor rose the feeling of sadness. They had their quarrels and Connor did some bad blunders, but in the end, their relationship had improved since the beginning.

At the latest, when he had decided against the capture of Rupert - another deviant on their list - and for Hank's rescue instead, Hank's reaction had given him the feeling, that he was grateful for it.

However, it was no use. Now that Hank had made up his mind.

***

One week past.

Since Connor had become a valuable partner within his time he had worked with Hank, Fowler decided to keep him. He still investigated crime scenes, localized the evidence and became a proper help for forensics. Connor received no payment for this, but at least he had an opportunity to pursue further tasks. Fowler even did all the paperwork, and everyone who knew Fowler was aware of how much he hated this stuff.

Hank's demise had caused a big concern in the precinct. However, Gavin did a great job with clearing up Connor's traces at the crime scene. Of course, the main assumption of Hank’s death was suicide. His alcohol level and the fact that he had shot himself with his gun was proof enough.

Also, everyone at the precinct knew that he still suffered from his son Cole's death, even three years later.

His broken kitchen window seemed strange to everyone. Some had assumed, Hank might have been a victim of his contacts to the Gambling-Scene, but that assumption soon had been died down.

Sumo had found a new home with Tina, a colleague of Gavin, who cared for the aged Saint Bernard. On quiet days, she brought him to the office, where he enjoyed every kind of attention.

Just Gavin and Connor knew, what had happened on said evening. To his surprise, Gavin hadn't spoken to him after that, neither harassed him nor pushed him around.

In the meantime, Connor did a great job when he was sent to a crime scene. He analysed clues and provided conclusive concepts, that helped with the investigation. At night, he went into stasis at the precinct. Fowler had assigned him an older office which had been used as a storage. He even gave him a cot, a working table and a chair. Cyberlife had also provided a Thirium-Dispenser to replenish his Thririum if he needed it.

Another thing that changed now constantly was his mind-palace. Amanda was gone. If he now entered his mind-palace, he met other people. Sometimes it was Elijah Kamski, a virtual image of  
Hank or someone else. Connor became aware that he had a significant influence on what was happening in his mind-palace. He decided how it looked, what changed and in which mood it appeared.

Before Hank's death, he had always used it to report to Cyberlife or get in contact. Since then everything about this was gone. But Connor still used it to seal off himself from the outer world. Here he had security while dealing with his thoughts.

Everything that had happened since back then confused him, and sometimes he felt overwrought. Since Hank's death, he felt emotion.

In the meantime, he was quite aware of the fact that he had broken his inner firewall three weeks ago and had become a deviant.

***

A successful day came to an end. Connor just had arrived back at the precinct when Gavin showed up. Connor had not seen him in over a week and already wondered where he had been.

A thing which Connor still bothered if he was at the precinct, was his disadvantage of attending different meetings. Androids were categorically excluded here. 

Within these, they didn't discuss certain cases, but changes at the precinct, in terms of modifying conditions and other trivial things. They even discussed who was next with bringing coffee and the like.

Another topic, which always had been interesting for Connor, dealt with the question who enhanced positions. Who had been promoted, which training was due, and so on.

Since Androids still hadn't any right of participation in this regard, Connor was left out of these meetings. Nevertheless, he received a protocol to become aware of everything. If he had any questions, he discussed them with Fowler.

Connor rested in the break room and flipped through the report of the previous meetings. He was leaning against the coffee-table when Gavin joined him. Connor immediately expected, he just came over to annoy him.

Even the way Gavin was looking at Connor made him suspicious. He surely had something in mind if he stood so conspicuously next to him. Connor looked up and then spotted something, he never had seen before: Gavin's lips showed a smile! Even worse, it seemed honest.

At first, Connor made a self-test to check if his adapting-software was damaged, but then Gavin turned to him.

"Finished reading?" he asked, still carrying that almost eerie smile on his lips.

"No... What... What's going on?"

Gavin repeatedly tapped on the report. "Read... If you're finished, I'm gonna meet you in your chamber," he said and went off.

Connor looked after him in confusion. 

Gavin Reed! - Smiling? - Honestly? - What the actual fuck had happened?

Connor sensed a particular emotion rising within him - Insecurity. That terrible feeling emerged way too often in him these days.

After he had pulled himself together, his gaze wandered back to the report. Three-quarters of it consisted of irrelevant points which didn't seem that important to change Gavin's appearance that drastically. But finally, he got to the list of internal regulations and changes.

_With today's meeting, the decision is made that the Android (model name RK800) which is connected to the DPD will be working with Detective Gavin Reed in the future. This decision applies until further notice._

Connor needed a moment for it to sink in until he got the meaning of it. After the info went through his data processor, he was stuck in shock.

He? And Gavin? Working together? As partners?

First, who the fuck had had such an awful idea? Second, why would Gavin smile about that?

This had to be a mistake. Maybe Gavin did something way more awful, and the report just didn't say it. Everything about it seemed completely absurd to Connor, given the fact that Gavin couldn't even stand him.

Connor was so confused that he left and went over to his office. What he didn't know: He didn't even read the last point on the report, which was even more confusing and would have made him suffer even more.

Gavin already waited for him in his office.

***

Gavin, just standing there in Connor's office made him feel uncomfortable. Fowler always had guaranteed him that nobody would enter his office. It gave him security. Which he already had far too less of within the last weeks.

Gavin had intruded it.

Connor felt unsettled, especially because Gavin always had been a person, who was keen enough to show his antipathy for the android.

Gavin stood in front of the window, his back turned at Connor. After Connor closed the door.

"I assume you've finished reading the report?"

"Yes, Detective."

Now Gavin turned to him and there it was again: That strange smile that Connor couldn't classify at all. Connor couldn't help but stare at Gavin, who slowly approached him now.

"Normally I wouldn't give a fuck to ask you this. But I'm highly interested in your thoughts about us being partners from now on."

After Connor got back his composure, he tried to reply in a rather statically way. Thankfully his feelings were nowhere near as uncontrolled as two weeks ago. However, he remained cautious.

"I just can assume it seems somehow promising if we're working together. Maybe they have a certain goal they pursue." He wasn't sure if that was it what Gavin wanted to hear. "Anyway, I don't wanna be a burden for you Detective. I hope my adaption software will prove itself useful so it's bearable for you to work with me." Connor tried to react defensive since he knew that Gavin's liability to tip over was easily hit.

Until Gavin responded, Connor watched him carefully. He was still smiling, so Connor courageously added: "In the end, it isn't completely reasonable for me, why this instruction apparently came from you. Therefore, I would be grateful if you would give me a hint as to why exactly you did this."

Gavin crossed his arms and took another step towards Connor. A slight chuckle emanated his lips. "It's interesting and funny at the same time. Two weeks ago you called me by my first name, and now you suddenly switch back to formalities." 

Connor still didn't know how to assess his counterpart, but it didn't take long until Gavin came to the point.

"You owe me something, Connor. We both know that you and Hank had been very successful until he decided to give himself a knockout. But even since then you made yourself useful by contributing your abilities and all this shit.”

He paused diabolically. "I want a piece of this fucking cake! Nothing more!“ he continued.

Gavin's explanation was enough for Connor, even if he couldn't imagine the simplicity of the matter, looking at Gavin's well known impulsive behaviour. Connor assumed he would be pushed around by Gavin, messed up by him once in a while. But in the end, it was Connor who possessed the required equipment to deliver and accomplish a task. Gavin used him to get a little more power.

Well, it wasn't necessarily a quality that distinguished a good person, but Connor didn't care.

Gavin's eyes changed slightly, he frowned. "I suppose you don't have a problem with the last point in the report either?"

It was only now that Connor realized he hadn't noticed the mentioned part in the report at all. His LED showed a yellow glow and he cocked his head. His expression turned to question.

"When do you have your next routine inspection?" Gavin asked.

He was talking about an appointment that Connor had to pass every four weeks and for which he had to go to the Cyberlife Tower. In addition to checking his Thiriumlevels, they replaced damaged parts, made some updates and saved his data.

"Upcoming Friday, Detective. Why?" he asked and narrowed his eyes.

After that refreshing smile on his face, his sudden look had an alarming effect on Connor. It seemed more dangerous. Gavin penetrated his personal space and stopped just right in front of him. " I just got the news that I'm finally licensed to rip up your ass. I'm looking forward to the moment of you bending over!"

His grin widened, but Connor didn't quite understand. "As of today, I am the maintenance officer for the precinct's prototype."

Without further words, Gavin passed Connor and left him there.

Connor turned his head to look after him, but in his inner self, he froze. Gavin practically had the license to disassemble him without even asking. Just slowly Connor realised the possibilities, coming up with the event. The mechanisms in his legs became weak, and he had to sit down because they refused to work.

Gavin had Connor in his claws, and he couldn't even do anything about it, could he?

***

"I don't know if I can give you permission to do my regular maintenance, Detective!"

Connor's voice trembled a little saying this. Gavin was in the break room, drinking his coffee while smoking a cigarette. It was more of a whisper that came from Connor’s mouth because his insecurity was uncomfortable enough. He didn't want to risk that somebody else could hear their conversation.

Gavin took another drag of his cigarette, and while half of the smoke emerged out of his nostrils, he just blew the rest of it into Connor’s face. Then he put on another smile.

"It's Gavin, Connor. And I don't think you can do anything about it, that I’ll screw you open on Friday before I’ll gut you!”

His voice sounded almost disgusting. Together with the slight tone of self-affirmation, it left Connor speechless.

Connor's LED turned dangerously orange, just flickering red sometimes because now he started to panic.

"Sir, you are aware of -"

"Stop these formalities, damn it! Right now!“ Gavin's voice took on a commanding tone, which immediately caused Connor to be quiet. He didn't want to agitate his partner. "It's just an inspection, okay? No fucking reason to shit your pants!“

"It unsettles me that you suddenly want this, even though you didn't show me any sort of kindness until now. Where do your commitment and mind-change come from?”

Gavin, who had looked at his cup of coffee in the meantime, now raised his gaze. "I have my reasons!" he replied, but in a very conciliatory tone. "Be assured that you're in good hands with me, okay?"

His look seemed trustworthy, so Connor just nodded, albeit with a little bit of discomfort.

With Gavin, you never knew.

***

It was getting dark in his office. Only the lamp on his desk was still lit. Even if he didn't need any light, Connor liked it, laying in the mild glow throughout the evening. Sometimes he used these moments to deep dive into his mind-palace.

Just like now.

The lake in its middle seemed calm, while Connor stood on the bridge, his arms resting on its railing. White doves flew past him, just to settle down on one of the futuristic trees. Over time, all the elements in his mind-palace had taken on a slightly blue glow. They still seemed sharp on their edges, but on the other hand, it soothed Connor. His gaze dropped, and he looked down onto the water where he found his reflection.

He wondered why he was afraid of the thought, that it was Gavin who would inspect him.

Fear.

This emotion wasn’t new to him, but he only associated it with negative experiences. The moment he found Hank dead and the realisation that he couldn't help him anymore had been similar. When Gavin showed up and told him that he had taken over the job as his maintenance officer it felt the same.

Without clearing up any damages, they just took a few minutes. Nevertheless, having the thought of Gavin sticking his fingers into his guts, while he was fully conscious, wasn't very appealing. If Gavin did anything wrong, his system would malfunction. What then?

Connor started to analyse Gavin closely. He didn't consider it until now because there wasn't just the need for it. Now that he would be his partner, Connor wanted to know more about him. He was programmed to get along with a fellow detective as best as possible. 

Sure, he had a mere idea of Gavin, but since he hadn't had anything to do with him so far, Connor didn't care much about it.

Gavin acted like an asshole. If there was anything else behind his facade or not, he wouldn't have cared. Now that he was his partner, it was more important than ever.

Gavin's body slowly took shape in Connors mind-palace. The projection of the man appeared in front of him so that he could take a closer look.

Gavin Reed was born almost 36 years ago, about 5.9 feet tall while weighing about 176 pounds. His body looked trained, but not that much. Especially his arms looked like he lifted some weights once in a while.

Gavin never had left Detroit throughout his career but apparently, he had been arrested in his youth because he had a small amount of Red Ice in his pocket.

Gavin and Red Ice?

Indeed, this was some new information which Connor didn't ever expect of him. He couldn't localize any further details because he lacked the necessary access for said data archive.

The first thing Connor noticed when he looked at Gavin's exteriors, were been his shoes. Gavin wore unbalanced boots, his right sole seemed more worn up than the left. Besides, he seemed to regularly bump its tip. The soft suede from which the boots were made of, showed a few scratches. Thanks to the typical appearance of suede, this wasn't something obvious one would notice with a simple look, but to Connor's analytical abilities they were clearly visible.

Blue jeans, a green striped longsleeve, and the typical leather jacket that Gavin basically never took off. After inspecting it closely, Connor noticed two further scratches on its right side.

Finally, Connor reached Gavin's face. His striking chin, the light stubble, and his constantly pinched mouth. He took a closer look and discovered that Gavin tended to bite his lips regularly in his past. But this bad behaviour had had obviously waned over the years.

At first glance, the small scars on Gavin's lips weren’t noticeable. One scar that caught Connor’s eye was on his nose. It was deep and pulled right across its bridge.

Connor felt reminded of a case file which accidentally had landed on Hank's desk: child abuse. The boy, who was shown on the photos inside the file, had been hit by his father with a poker. Gavin's scar looked very similar, just that Gavin’s wound had healed long ago.

Then Connor met Gavin's grey eyes. But it wasn't just a plain grey. Around the little black dot in its middle, he had some green speckles. It made his eye-colour almost look like seafoam which just crushed on a beach's edge. Connor never had realised that there was more to Gavin's eyes.

His eyes overall weren't only somber in their appearance but framed by the typical dark circles of insomnia. Connor knew that a Detective's job was hard. And most of them suffered from a lack of sleep. 

Hank once told him that, depending on the case he was working on, he rarely found sleep and sometimes didn’t even sleep for days. This wasn't good for his health, but what did Connor know? After all, he didn't need any sleep at all.

Still, something gleamed from Gavin's eyes that Connor couldn't analyze properly. Was he just seriously thinking about, that with a bit of imagination his new partner would radiate something warm, which was just buried deep inside of him?

Gavin didn't have a good reputation at the precinct. Fowler had already given him two warnings. One of them for disregarding an official order, the other for beating up a colleague.

Nevertheless, Gavin's existence at the precinct was characterized by the fact that it represented a certain value for the department. In some more serious cases, he had helped with the investigation and followed the right track, after they had some serious evidence.

Thanks to him, several men had been arrested, who had been chased for months. The reason: child pornography. Apparently, there was a little more to Detective Reed than Connor expected him to be.

And maybe this bighead had a soft side that nobody at the DPD noticed.


	2. How do I get to know you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get things going.
> 
> Connor and Gavin get to know each other. At least Connor is trying to start a conversation.
> 
> And then, there is Connor's first maintenance, which he is quite afraid of. However, it is not going accordingly as planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this chapter: Death (mentioned), Child abuse, Violence against a child, Alcohol abuse

The clock didn't even strike three when Connor was pulled out of his mind-palace. An almost violent knock on his door. Connor shook his head since he believed he just had dreamt it. It was still dark outside, just the street lights lit up his office and bathed it in a blue tone. After he stood up and was about to open it, Gavin let himself in.

Connor looked at him questioningly.

Gavin looked tired as ever, and he apparently had been hauled out of bed.

"Mornin' tin-can. Fowler wants to see us. I want you to go to his office while I'm getting a coffee real quick. After that, I'll join you. Got it?” he said hastily and just went off without even waiting for Connor's answer.

After Connor turned off the light, he made his way to Fowler's office. The precinct was dark. Just the emergency lights had been lit. Fowler seemed rushed, he didn't even take his jacket off as Connor entered the bullpen, looking at his glazed office.

With a gesture of his hand, the man waved Connor over and Connor climbed the stairs in front of his office and opened the door.

"Good morning, Captain Fowler."

"Where's your partner? I explicitly said that both of you should come to my office.” Fowler looked a little upset since the reason for this early meetup seemed very important.

"Detective Reed should be here any minute."

"Okay."

Connor noticed that Gavin's delay didn't please him at all, so he tried to distract his superior.  
"I've been very surprised by your decision about making me Detective Reed's partner."

Fowler looked at him. "I was rather surprised that he'd been the one who suggested the whole thing. I mean, the entire DPD knows his mindset about androids."

"I am well aware of that, Captain."

"I assume you will be able to cope with that?" he asked him, and Connor nodded.

“My programming allows me to adapt to a situation as best as possible. Whether I like it or not, working with a colleague like Detective Reed and not getting in the way of his attitude is practically one of my features.”

Fowler gave him a small laugh. “As long as you don't start acting like him."

Connor was about to speak when Gavin joined them.

Fowler ignored the fact that Gavin was late and promptly addressed the reason for the meetup.

“An insider gave us the information that there's emerging more and more Red Ice at the West Riverfront Park. Children are already dealing with this shit, obviously commissioned by some ring whose origin we're not aware of yet. Yesterday they found a body. 58-year-old man, in his pockets, they found traces of Red Ice, in his head a bullet. We're speaking of at least half a pound of the drug."

"Shit!", Gavin interjected before taking a sip of coffee. He narrowed his eyes. "Half a pound?”

Fowler looked at Gavin and answered straight out. “We unleashed the K9's to get a better overview. The shit had been all over the place beside his pockets. It's been our luck the guy was pretty sloppy. I wouldn't be surprised if he just came from his main dealer and was about to sell it. At a place nearby they found traces on the ground which leads us to the assumption that he had probably buried some of it. But it was taken away, before we got alarmed.”

He paused.

"Typical dealer behaviour... This is not the first case of this kind. We assume the ring to set new boundaries while killing any dealer who hasn't their authorization."

Gavin looked at Fowler questioningly, but let him continue.

“I want you both to observe the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Rosa Park Boulevard. I want to know exactly, what's going on there and who is responsible for this.”

Gavin hesitated at first, then he finally nodded. He gave Connor a brief look and so they set off.

***

Gavin sipped up the last bit of coke he had bought earlier, along with a burger and fries. They observed for almost an hour now at West Riverfront Park, and nothing had happened yet.

Connor noticed his partner chewing on the straw before it slipped from his lips.

He didn't say a word to Connor until now.

One thing that Hank had never been aware of was that Connor's olfactory sensors always struck badly when he had been in Hank's car. Sadly the odour of Hank's car mostly consisted of rotten food, wet dog, and alcohol. He had never told him that, but Hank's car looked like a real mess inside, while Gavin seemed to pay more attention to it.

Gavin didn't even have to clear up his passenger seat before Connor could get into the car. The interior only exuded the smell of cold cigarette smoke, as well as Gavin's after-shave, which had a hint of amber, patchouli, and vanilla in its base note. Along with some cream and chocolate, which Connor thought was atypical for any kind of perfume or after-shave. He briefly considered asking Gavin about it, but the logic in his program signalized him, it wouldn't make any sense.

He wanted to start a conversation with Gavin, even if it just fulfilled the purpose of getting to know him better and to contribute to their collaboration. Connor's LED alternated between blue and yellow while he searched through his memory to see if there were any parts from Hank's and his conversations that he could use now.

"Do you like music?" he finally asked and Gavin lifted an eyebrow. 

"What the fuck do you care if I listen to music?" Gavin replied somewhat harshly.

"I'm trying to start a conversation, Detective."

"Oh! Part of your adapting program, isn't it? I completely forgot.”

However, he didn't answer Connor's question, so Connor further stared at him.

"Sure, I listen to music, but why do you care about it? Do androids listen to music?”

“Not really!” Connor replied, whereupon Gavin let out a short mocking laugh. "But I try. There are elements in music that help me to understand human emotions better. Fun, joy, or sadness.” 

Gavin frowned and looked at Connor. "Really?"

"Yes. They give me an impression of the mood of the person who's listening, and it gives me the chance to adapt to it or to react appropriately."

Gavin didn't answer him. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and was looking out of the windshield. In the distance, a few shapes emerged. Gavin quickly pulled his binoculars out of his pocket and tried to look through it.

It was reason enough for Connor to get an overview himself.

"Fucking darkness!" Gavin cursed. 

Connor focused his eyes in the direction chosen by Gavin, and the first thing he could figure out was the frame of a bicycle. Then his optics sharpened the outlines of the person who was sitting on it.

"Please tell me that you plastic pricks have zoom function or some shit!", Gavin snapped at Connor.

"I don't understand your hostility, but I can ease your mind. My optics magnify up to 600 percent and is equipped with night vision."

"Then make yourself useful!" Gavin demanded and took another look through his binoculars, which - of course - still weren't useful at all.

Meanwhile, Connor analyzed the scene and found out the cyclist's height, which was almost four feet. His counterpart was a man, broad shoulders, crew haircut and dressed in a coat, which made him even look beefier. He watched the man hand something over to the cyclist. Connor associated his movements with someone who was handling a handgun.

The man person started to move, wiping the smaller one a hand over his head before he disappeared in the darkness. The cyclist pocketed the apparent weapon and waited a moment before he also drove away. The problem: He moved in the direction of Gavin's car.

The logic in Connor's head planted the idea of him, getting out of the car, stepping into his way and arresting him.

"Would you please open your fucking mouth and give me an update?" Gavin asked, but Connor leaned to the side to open the car's door. But Gavin held him back by grabbing his jacket and pulling him back into the seat. 

"Are you nuts?" Gavin asked and immediately pushed Connor down, because now he realized, what Connor had seen. Gavin also ducked behind the dash and was dangerously close to Connor's face.

Gavin was so close that Connor's olfactory sensors struck and he could smell the taste of the burger and the fries Gavin had because it emanated from Gavin's lips.

"Stay down!" Gavin hissed at Connor and continued looking at him. 

The rising tension was almost unbearable for both Connor and Gavin.

A few moments passed before Gavin carefully lifted his head and looked around through the windows. After making sure the situation was safe, he looked down at Connor.  
"Are you out of your mind?" he snapped at him, and Connor sat up. 

"We could have arrested him, Detective!" Connor replied in a calm voice, which just made Gavin more upset.

"We should observe, damn it! Not arrest anyone! - Now tell me what you saw for fuck's sake!”

Connor reported to him, but Gavin only got angrier.

"He could have shot you if I hadn't held you back!" he snapped at him, but Connor just crooked an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't it have suited you?", Connor asked him.

"What?" Gavin replied, sounding surprised because he didn't expect such an answer. 

They just looked at each other for a moment, then Gavin shook his head.

They observed the place until dawn, but Gavin consistently refused to answer any of Connor's further questions. 

Connor kept on trying to build up a conversation. After his literal hundredth question, which was now about Gavin's family, Gavin completely lost it.

“Shut up! Shut your fucking mouth! And never talk about my family ever again, okay?” 

Connor dropped his glance, guiltily. Even his lack of empathy told him that he had gone way too far now.

"Asshole!", Gavin added and finally reached for the seat belt.

***

Back at the DPD, they reported to Fowler. After that, Fowler ordered them to go back for another stakeout next evening.

So Gavin left the department to catch up on some sleep. In the meantime, Connor went over to his office and spent some time in his mind-palace.

For the first time, he felt something like remorse. He didn't want to piss Gavin off. Even if he was rude sometimes, Connor tried so hard to adapt but it didn't work. When looking at the lake, he suddenly heard a voice behind him.

"You lured him out of his comfort zone, didn't you?"

Connor turned and recognized the shape of Hank, which surprised him. "Hank... What are you doing here?" he asked while noticing a cheering feeling rising inside of him.

"Since when do androids have a guilty conscience?" Hank replied with a slight grin on his lips.

Before Connor could think about what to say, he looked at Hank's shoes and then at his face. For a brief moment, an overwhelming feeling overcame him. It felt like too many files accessed his storage program. What usually led to a blue screen on a computer caused dismay within Connor.

It felt like he would ask Hank this for the hundredth time. "Why did you do that?"

Hank's sigh signalled that Connor wouldn't get an answer this time either. Just like all the other times, he had asked him that.

"Gavin isn't any help. I have no idea what he's expecting from me. Often he acts like he's eagerly looking for a chance to get me fired. So they can send me back to Cyberlife to disassemble!“ he explained, but Hank didn't react.

“In general, his reactions seem to be absurd to me. One time he wants to kill me, the other he saves me from being hit by a bullet."

"He likes you, Connor. He just doesn't admit it!” Hank's voice was so soft when he said that. It filled Connor with that special kind of warmth, which he never had received by any other human. After getting aware of Cole's death, Connor's admiration for Hank was even bigger. Sadly he couldn't show him anymore.

Their relationship had never been optimal. In the meantime, Connor was sure that, if Hank had only given him a little more time to get to know each other better, they might have been something like friends. Still, Hank had been one of the few humans Connor had trusted.

Connor was agitated and looked at Hank. He noticed that his cooling sensors lost some liquid. Since the moisture evaporated over Connor's eyes, it almost looked like he had tears in his eyes.

"How should I deal with that, Hank?" Connor asked, and his former colleague put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to get in his way, or piss him off."

"Give him some time, huh? Maybe he wasn't aware of how it would be working with you." When Connor looked back at him, Hank nodded. "I'm sure you can do it, son."

When Connor opened his eyes, three hours had passed. In a few hours, it would be dark outside again.

The stakeout would probably start earlier today.

***

Two hours of observation had passed, but Gavin hadn't said a single word to Connor. Meanwhile, the latter did not dare to start a conversation, out of uncertainty, Gavin probably would go mad at him again. But before he could think any further, Gavin suddenly spoke up.

"Sometimes I wonder if your stupidity is just an act or if you're looking for a serious conversation."

Connor looked at him and cocked his head. "I don't quite understand."

"You surely researched about me by now, just to satisfy your dirty mind and think it's funny to make a joke of asking me about all sorts of odds and ends. Next, you might want to know if I'm wiping my ass after I took a shit.”

"I'm sorry if I offended you yesterday. I didn't want to bother you with my questions." Connor paused before continuing. "I know you're doing a good job, and your graduation was better than many might think."

Gavin returned his look. "Yeah, sure. It's just no use to me anymore. I mean, I'm sitting in my car, talking to a walking toaster, waiting for the night to pass, just to report it the other day to my boss. Sounds very promising.” Gavin snorted.

“You provided crucial information about a ring that dealt with child pornography. Gavin, you know what you do and what you're able to." 

Gavin, who had just lit a cigarette and opened the window, nodded eagerly. "Yeah, Yeah... Now you're pitying me." His tone was pejorative. "Of what avail is it if half the department hates me?"

For a moment Connor was tempted to give him the answer that it probably had been his own fault but then refrained from commenting on it.

"I just want to help you!" Connor finally replied and leaned slightly towards Gavin, who reacted by blowing the smoke of his cigarette in Connor's face.

Gavin made a contemptuous sound.

Connor closed his eyes briefly because the smoke obscured his optical unit. He wiped over his eyes as if out of reflex. "I would be very grateful if you stop this. Otherwise, you can no longer rely on my abilities to see something in the dark, if someone shows up.”

Gavin snorted again and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

There was an unbearable silence again, but Connor was tired of holding up a senseless conversation since Gavin didn't want to talk to him either. Instead, he sunk deeper into his seat and looked out of the window.

The Detroit River was only partially visible from his position, but the light waves spreading on its surface led Connor to let his mind wander.

He was just about to dive into his mind-palace when Gavin spoke up.

"I do not wanna sound like a pussy. Under any circumstances -"

Now Connor cut him off. "You're not a pussy! Don't persuade yourself into that."

Gavin's eyes looked serious. "Do you want me to tell you something now? If so, shut your mouth and listen, okay?"

Gavin leaned back in the seat, took a deep breath. "In my career, it wasn't always as easy as it seems. I grew up in Detroit, but I've never really left this damn town. When I was a child, I woke up in the morning and already heard my old man screaming in the hallway. Every! Goddamn! Morning! He regularly beat up my mum, and I sat in between and desperately wanted to stab him. One evening he had been so drunk that he thought I had dumped his reserves. I'd been twelve! That evening he gave me this!” he said and tapped his nose.

"I was nearly bleeding like a slaughtered pig, and my mom was scared to take me to the hospital. Because she was afraid I would be taken away from her. But that didn't change the situation either…”

Connor gave him a sympathetic look. So his assumption about Gavin's scar hadn't been wrong at all.

“After college, I got delinquent for a short time, dealt with Red Ice, and even established my reputation in the scene. I'm surprised that Fowler gave me the chance to change everything. But apparently, I was young enough to get my butt kicked and got on the right way.” 

He paused for a moment. “Nobody in the department has any idea that Fowler picked me up in some alley back then. Drunk, chock-full by my drugs, and barely able to walk. I puked straight on his shoes."

Connor arched his eyebrows and couldn't help a slight grin, whereupon Gavin finally got in.

"I puked on his shoes and shit my pants." His grin faded, and he looked into the void.

“If he hadn't found me that evening, I probably wouldn't have woken up the next morning. The shit that I dealt with was bad. Very bad." Gavin seemed to feel good talking it off his mind, so Connor just let him go on.

"Jeffrey took me with him and put me in a cell to sober up. Then he made me the offer that if I quit this shit, he would get me a job and would make something off of me."

"And you did it."

"Yes... but don't think that I even had anybody who liked me."

A question arose in Connor's mind, but he didn't dare to ask Gavin. But Gavin finally took it away from him.

"Before you ask if I just wanted you as a partner because I would have someone with whom I can chat: No, I didn't!"

"Then why did you do that, Detective?" Connor replied, and Gavin gave him an honest look.

"That thing of you finding Hank. I can picture it, through what shit you've been through after that. Losing your partner after such a short amount of time. I'm still amazed that you called me of all others that evening.”

Connor was still grateful for what he had done for him on the said evening. Still, it didn't answer his question of why Gavin made him his partner completely, because there was still the fact that Gavin hated androids.

And why did he suddenly become interested in Connor's emotional life?

***

At the end of the night, Connor and Gavin hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. But thanks to their conversation, their relationship had improved significantly. When they got back to the DPD, Connor felt much better than before, and they went to Fowler to deliver a report.

As part of the meeting, Fowler advised suspending the following evening from the observation. Since Connor's inspection was due on the same day, which Gavin also had to take care of, this was okay for both of them.

"I'll come around about three. First I have to catch up on some sleep,” Gavin told Connor before he left the department.

"All right, Detective," he replied, even giving Gavin a slight smile before turning around and making his way to his own office.

Gavin stopped for the last time before he left and looked after Connor before he made his way home.

***

The time until his inspection had passed so quickly that Connor had barely noticed. He was still in his mind-palace, with his eyes closed. His LED glowed in a balanced blue. He didn't notice how Gavin quietly entered his office. Only when he lowered the blind next to him, Connor opened his eyes.

"You seemed completely kicked out," Gavin said and grinned.

"Well, you must've sneaked in quietly. Otherwise, I wouldn't have missed it.” Only now Connor noticed a big suitcase which he placed on his desk. At its bottom-right, he recognized the Cyberlife logo. He had seen such a suitcase just once before. Back then, a sales representative had it with him to do a routine check on Connor.

Connor was still a little afraid in terms of the maintenance. Even if he and Gavin had developed their relationship a little, he felt uncertainty. He was quite aware of the fact that he had to do this, but it didn't erase his concern.

"Do you mind if I lock the door?" Gavin asked, who now put his case on the floor and undid the buckles on top.

"No!" Connor replied, and soon his partner locked the door.

Gavin took off his leather jacket. 

The Android had never seen him like this. If he looked closely, he could see the fine lines of Gavin's muscles through the grey shirt. Connor already thought that Gavin was well trained, but what he saw wasn't possible without additional exercise. Briefly confused as to why he had such thoughts, Connor's glance dropped to the floor. Maybe he was just too nervous and insecure about the upcoming event.

With great diligence, Gavin placed all the necessary instruments on the small bedside table, which stood next to Connor's cot. In addition to several test tubes, these consisted of pipettes, Q tips, and various cables. Gavin left additional equipment in the suitcase, as this was only necessary if any problems appeared during the regular examinations.

"Would you shut down your confidential barrier?" he asked Connor who looked a little unsettled. "I can do this manually by using a switch, but I thought I should ask you beforehand if you would rather do it freely."

"Oh..." the Android replied and initiated the process to shut down his barrier. "Please name your access code and confirm it with your fingerprint." Connor's voice program requested. The Android noticed all of this with full consciousness and waited.

"Access code GCR2002 1007 1305 RK800 55." While Gavin recited this number and letter code as clearly as possible, he approached Connor, so that he was standing directly in front of him. 

Connor's LED turned green and he noticed Gavin pressing his thumb gently on his temple. 

While they waited for the confirmation, Gavin couldn't help but grin. "I actually wanted them to scan my middle finger for the confirmation, but unfortunately that wasn't allowed."

Connor grinned before his eyelids started twitching. Various codes now ran through his memory.

Gavin took his thumb off of Connor's temple.

Connor's confidential barrier protected him from any kind of unauthorized access to his biocomponents and internal storage. If someone penetrated this barrier without permission, they would easily have the power to destroy Connor irreversibly.

"Confidential barrier deactivated!" Connor confirmed and looked at Gavin, who had just pulled a pair of blue disposable gloves out of his suitcase. Connor knew what followed, so he took off his jacket and shirt, including his tie, and unbuckled his belt. As he laid down on his cot, he saw Gavin put on one of the gloves and grinning at him.

"I honestly have to keep myself from making a dirty joke," he said, slightly amused, and Connor frowned. When Gavin noticed that Connor didn't understand what he meant, he shook his head: "Nevermind."

"Would you please..?" Gavin asked just moments later while kneeling in front of the cot.

Connor had gone through this process a few times before, and yet it was strange that Gavin approached him that close. He noticed his eyes wander over Connor's chest, down to his pump regulator, where he stopped. Connor closed his eyes and retracted the simulation of his artificial skin, right around the area where a human's navel would be.

Now Gavin looked at a surface made of white synthetic material. With careful pressure, Gavin released the mechanism that gave him access to Connor's wiring, and he gently pushed the panel back. Finally, he plugged in a control monitor by using a connector which was located right below Connor's pump regulator. Now Gavin was ready to start.

Cyberlife typically did any open bodywork after disabling all the Android's sensors - if it had any! However, Gavin didn't, so the Android immediately sensed it when his partner slipped with two fingers into his innards.

"Gavin!" A sigh escaped Connor's lips, and he briefly raised his head.

Gavin paused. "Everything's alright, I'm just looking for a certain tube," he replied, almost gently, before he pushed even a little deeper with his fingers.

Now Connor couldn't help it and raised a hand. He tried to signal Gavin that something wasn't going accordingly as planned.

The next moment Gavin touched one of the main cables leading to Connor's Thirium pump and his head sunk back, followed by a suppressed groan. He had never experienced anything like that during an inspection. The resulting impulse rose into his central unit, where it caused the strange feeling of arousal.

Gavin's touch almost drove him mad.

Gavin slipped deeper, and this indescribable feeling spread through Connor's whole body.

A few moments later, Connor felt like everything was contracting in him. He couldn't help it, making an almost pleading sound. He slightly opened his mouth and panted while his hand reached for Gavin's.

This reaction finally made Gavin look up. After looking at the control monitor, Gavin noticed that Connor's stress level was at 86 percent. His LED confirmed the whole thing because it had taken on a red colour.

Gavin's mind went through a strange kind of fascination when he saw Connor lying beneath him. Such an issue never happened during his training at Cyberlife. The Android assigned to him went through the inspection on schedule, without showing any kind of emotion. But then a completely different thought rose in Gavin's mind.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say without a doubt that you're getting off."

Connor, who was still in the middle of his emotional chaos, bit his lip and Gavin lifted his eyebrows.

It looked almost insidious as Gavin's gaze wandered to the control monitor while he moved his fingers only a few inches.

Connor's chest lifted, the grip on Gavin's hand tightened, and the values on the monitor increased slightly.

"Holy Shit, Connor..."

Gavin's temptation to go on was almost too big. Furthermore, he hadn't the impression that Connor's reactions to his touch looked anything but painful. He had the strange urge to slip even deeper between Connor's wires. He wanted to know if Connor was honestly feeling something. That he was getting off of his touch.

On the other hand, Gavin was well aware that he could lose his job if Connor would report what happened. Connor was still an Android, but he had certain rights in the precinct and Gavin had been instructed by Fowler beforehand to handle him properly.

It was only when Gavin carefully pulled his fingers out that Connor opened his eyes and looked at him in relief. Gavin noticed Connor's jaw was slightly trembling. After making sure that his stress level dropped, Gavin got up and went over to his suitcase. Gavin still wondered what caused Connor's reaction, or if he might have done it on purpose. So he pulled out the manual and flipped through the pages, looking for a solution.

_"Please note that - depending on the model and area of application - it may be necessary to deactivate the integrated sensors before each check-up. This is particularly the case with special models and prototypes that are equipped with the mentioned function. If necessary, check the supplied papers if you are unsure whether your Android has them or not."_

"They gotta be kidding me." Gavin sighed and pushed the manual back into his case before going back to Connor.

The latter was still completely frazzled on his cot and only looked at Gavin when he knelt next to him.

Gavin glanced at his control monitor again and saw that Connor's stress level had somewhat calmed down. Nevertheless, Gavin had a really bad conscience and just wanted to help Connor out of this mess as soon as possible.

So he reached for Connor's hand and grabbed his hair, tried to rub his forehead soothingly, and looked in his eyes. "I guess my efforts were a little too overachieving, huh?" he asked slightly amused, whereupon Connor couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, at least you noticed it in time before my processor fused."

Gavin had to grin. "But now I still have to ask you where I can deactivate your sensors. Otherwise, I can't let you pass the check today."

Connor slid his hand towards his pump regulator, touched the cable that Gavin had plugged in, and grabbed below the module, his middle finger slightly curved. He was looking for a button located inside a recess. Connor bit his tongue and the next moment Gavin heard a loud click, whereupon Connor exhaled deeply.

"It's a button switch. You just have to press it again later to turn it back on," he explained, closing his eyes.

"Okay." Gavin let go of his hand, slid down a bit, and stuck two fingers between the cables again while keeping an eye on Connor. This time he didn't show any response, what took a load off Gavin's mind.

He carefully hooked his fingers under a certain tube and gently pulled it up. He held it carefully while opening its safety valve at the end and grabbed one of the test tubes to fill some Thirium into it.

"You scared the hell out of me!" Gavin said, watching the blue liquid collecting in the glass.

"You tell me," Connor answered, and Gavin looked puzzled.

As he snapped off the line and put the test tube in the designated stand, he asked him. "How can you estimate that it was fear and nothing else?" He quickly closed the safety valve of the Thirium tube and carefully let it slide back into Connor's body.

“I've seen the feeling of fear in some deviants. For example, as I probed their memory. One of them was so terrified that I could feel its fear myself.”

His description sounded logical to Gavin, but he was still curious but did not dare to ask Connor about what seemed obvious to him. - That he felt kinda sexual arousal.

"However, there was something completely different than fear too," Connor remarked, and Gavin tried to remain calm, while he evenly divided the Thirium into three other test tubes by using a pipette.

"For a moment, It felt like I was somewhere else. Almost a little like... well..." Connor continued and looked at Gavin. "According to analytical values that I extract from my memory, humans feel similar if they..." Connor looked away and got quiet.

Meanwhile, Gavin dripped different liquids from smaller bottles into the test tubes, so he didn't react in an instant. When he had finished, he looked at Connor. "If they what?" he asked, and Connor looked up again before slightly shaking his head.

"Nothing," Connor replied.

"Come on, stop teasing me," Gavin said.

Fortunately, Connor showed no emotions, thanks to the switched-off sensors. Otherwise, he would have blushed out of embarrassment. He was also glad that his stress level was temporarily unable to rise. Otherwise, Gavin could have seen it on his monitor.

The results of his analysis showed him that his feelings were quite similar to those of two humans, having sexual intercourse while sharing a deep mutual trust.

A sensation some would describe as the highest of all feelings. It was clear that Connor didn't want to share his discoveries with Gavin.

Because how would he probably react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way... Gavin's after-shave exists... Just search for the ingredients and you'll get a result! ;)


	3. Drawing boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things seem to be taking a turn for the better...  
> But what seems like it, does not always have to be so...
> 
> But that is the least of all problems...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this chapter: Internalized Homophobia

While waiting for the results of Connor's blood test, Gavin knelt next to him and turned a rotary switch on the side of his control monitor. Another button above the screen triggered a self-test analysis on Connor to localize the most common malfunctions and programming errors. 

Connor's eyelids twitched for a while as the data passed through his central unit. 

A few seconds later, Gavin received the message on the monitor that everything was fine.  
"Why the hell does Cyberlife equip you with such a distinctive sensor technology?" he asked with interest, but Connor couldn't give him a proper answer.

"I suppose it's all part of my adapting program."

"I've heard about androids in some sex clubs running around with this stuff. So I'm a little confused. I mean, what use is it to you?” he continued while turning the switch on the control monitor again. 

Now Gavin received all information about Connor's biocomponents, as well as the version of his firmware.

"The only answer I can give you is that I am a very sophisticated model, and Cyberlife is trying out new elements on several prototypes."

"Was there a previous model? Like an RK700?” Gavin asked, but Connor shook his head. 

"No, and even if, it doesn't mean it would look like me, let alone have the same specifics or equipment. The RK's is a series of experiments anyway. It's quite possible that if my model would go into serial production, that it would have a completely different name or other biocomponents.” 

"To be honest, I don't even like to think about what a successor model to yours would look. I mean... What would it look like? Imagine yourself only more disturbing," Gavin mused.

Connor smiled and said "Wouldn't this make the perfect partner for you?" he teased him, which made Gavin laugh.

Finally, Gavin got up to get a bottle out of his suitcase. He dripped a few drops of a clear coloured cleansing liquid on the Q-Tips provided. He took one of them to clean up the surface of some wires inside of Connor's body.

A few moments later, he turned the rotary switch on his control monitor once more, containing the information about Connor's stress level. Gavin was careful as he searched for the switch to activate Connor's sensors, but found it quickly. 

Before he pressed it, he took a reassuring look at the monitor and then over at Connor.  
"Don't freak out, okay?" he said before he turned it on. 

Connor, who had raised his head, waited a second until his sensors started working again. Then he finally let himself sink back onto the cot and sighed. 

Gavin unplugged the monitor and pushed the plastic plate out of its bracket to lock Connor in place. 

When it was back in position, Connor's body automatically activated the simulation of his artificial skin, which now merged seamlessly again.

After he had finished, Gavin checked the test tubes. "Is it possible that you didn't have much fluid intake lately? For whatever reason,“ he asked and Connor sat up.

"Not that I know of," Connor replied.

“The viscosity could be better. Meaning the water content in your Thirium is a bit low, but still above the alarming limit. Maybe you should add a little more fluid, or take a shower once in a while. I was wondering how you guys handle this anyway,” Gavin muttered, and Connor got up to get dressed again.

"Normally, none of this is necessary," he replied and finally pulled his tie in place.

"Otherwise, everything is okay." Gavin continued. Now he started to collect his paraphernalia and put it back in the suitcase. Before he left the office to clean the test tubes, he went to Connor and placed his thumb on Connor's temple again to identify himself.

"Access code GCR2002 1007 1305 RK800 55 - maintenance work completed!" Gavin said clearly, causing Connors eyelids to twitch again, causing his confidential barrier to rise again. Finally, Gavin left the office.

Connor, who still sat on his cot, but now fully dressed again, was glad that this event just had come to an end. 

It had been an experience he wasn't sure whether to classify as good or bad.

Just a few minutes later, Gavin joined him again. Connor watched him storing the tubes back in his suitcase. He had the urge to say something but didn't exactly know what.

"If you want, we can do another stakeout tonight. A little extra work certainly won't hurt.“ Gavin suggested and Connor nodded benevolently.

"Of course, Detective." 

After Gavin closed his suitcase, he grabbed his jacket and gave Connor another pinched grin. "See you later, plastic prick," he teased him, and Connor couldn't help but smirk.

Although Gavin seemed to be going through something like a change, Connor wasn't sure if this was true.

***

Just as they left Connor's office, Fowler was about to get a coffee in the breakroom. He looked at them in confusion. "I thought you two weren't on duty tonight!"

"Right..." Gavin replied, thinking about what to say now. "I just thought, it would improve our collaboration if I'm going to take him with me sometimes. I mean, it would be nice if he sees something different than his office all the time."

Fowler raised his eyebrows and looked at Connor. "Is that okay with you?"

Connor, who was completely baffled by the fact that he was supposed to be working overtime with Gavin tonight, looked at Gavin, then back at his superior.

"I... think so," he replied after seeing Gavin, who was giving him a subliminal glance and a slight nod.

But after Connor didn't seem to understand his hint, Gavin cut him off. "He's just insecure, Jeffrey!" Gavin told him.

"Well, well," Fowler finally replied and nodded. "Then have a good one," he said and went over to his office.

As they arrived at Gavin's car, Connor stopped at the passenger door and looked at Gavin over the roof of the car. "So we're not going on a stakeout?" 

Gavin looked back and shook his head. "Nope!"

"Instead we're going to..?" Connor asked and cocked his head. 

"Don't ask! Get into the car. Otherwise, I might change my mind!" Gavin replied. Then he got into the car himself.

***

Of course, Connor had gotten in, and Gavin drove to a nearby gas station where he refuelled his car. After that, he drove back up Jefferson, but turned off at Mariners’ Church and headed for the Windsor Tunnel. He finally stopped in front of a liquor store and got out.

Connor waited a short while, and Gavin came back with a six-pack of beer. 

He stored the beer in the footwell of the back seat and then looked at Connor. "Shut up!" he snapped in an almost rude tone.

Connor bit his lips as he was seriously considering lecturing Gavin about the fact that transporting beer cans outside the trunk was prohibited throughout the US.

Now Gavin made his way to the West Riverwalk and parked in a designated area. He applied the handbrake and finally got out of the car. 

When Connor first refused to leave it, Gavin leaned down to the window. "What are you waiting for? Get your ass out of there, will ya!" 

Connor couldn't help but shake his head before he opened the car door and joined his partner.

Gavin leaned against the bonnet of his car and crossed his arms. "The cans are for later. If you think I'm going to unpack them now and here, you're dumber than I thought," he replied, holding up one side of his leather jacket. 

The inner pocket of Gavin's leather jacket revealed the outlines of a can through the fabric the top edge shimmered black. From the serifs he perceived, he identified a Coke Zero, and so he averted his gaze.

"Let's go then," Gavin said and slapped Connor on his shoulder before he started moving.

The West Riverwalk was still crowded with people. With alerting eyes, Connor followed some of the children playing here. 

Gavin, meanwhile, directed him to one of the benches where he sat down. 

Connor took a seat as well, and they glanced together at the Detroit River. 

A whole ten minutes passed before Gavin raised a word. "Wait half an hour, and everything will be empty," he said, and he was right. 

It was getting darker and around eight o'clock the park slowly but surely emptied. Gavin looked around once more before he pulled out the pack of cigarettes. After he had lit one, he inhaled deeply, just to tilt his head back and exhale the smoke, blowing it upwards in the air. 

Connor, who had made himself a little more comfortable on the bench, gave him a look.  
"I honestly can't understand why you're damaging your health with this." 

Gavin snorted contemptuously and showed him a grin before taking another drag of his cigarette. Some time passed, and the sun bathed the Detroit River in a deep black light, the slight waves on its surface seemed almost orange.

"I'm surprised you didn't freak out this afternoon," Gavin suddenly said, reminding Connor of what had happened at the maintenance inspection.

"Why would I? Completely freaking out is not part of my program.“ Connor said, and Gavin returned his gaze briefly but didn't add a further comment. 

For Connor, it didn't make any sense that he was talking about this again. "Why should I lose control because you made a mistake?" he asked because Connor thought it made his question's message a little more clearly. But as he looked at Gavin, he realised that in Gavin's head was a lot more going on than he might admit. 

Gavin dodged Connor's gaze, played nervously with his hands. Connor even noticed that his hands were trembling, the longer he looked at him. Gavin didn't even take another puff of his cigarette. Its tip was now just a mere pile of ash and crumbled slowly apart.

Connor tried to analyze him, to evaluate his actions, but he couldn't quite figure them out.

"It really looked like you felt something," Gavin finally said but further avoided returning Connor's glance. 

Connor also had the suspicion that the incident with Gavin had triggered some kind of emotions in him, but he didn't know what was so bad about it either.

"What if? Would it be so bad?” he finally asked Gavin, who looked up.

"I'm not gay, okay?" Gavin replied, defensively and almost snotty. 

Just now Connor occurred the suspicion that there was something completely different going on in Gavin's mind. Gavin was just making the whole thing up as he went along!

Connor's eyes widened, and he raised his eyebrows. "You think what happened there was sexual in nature?" he asked and immediately became more serious again. "Besides that, what's wrong with being gay?" he continued, whereupon Gavin freaked out.

"Hey, I just told you I'm not gay, okay?" Gavin stood up and took a step backwards, now spreading his arms and leaning slightly forward. "I'm not one of those faggots!" 

Connor wanted to react, but Gavin was getting furious.

"You can tell this shit to someone else, okay?" He took another drag of his cigarette again before he went on. "If you think I liked the way you curled up below me like a bitch in heat, then you're wrong!" 

Though Connor kept quiet and just looked at him, Gavin started to insult his partner furthermore. "I don't give a shit about you, okay? I don't need you!" he snapped and Connor got up.

"Gavin, you're completely overreacting!" he tried to calm him down. He carefully took a step towards him, whereupon Gavin went straight into a defensive posture.

"Don't come near me now!" Gavin warned him.

Connor's behavioural analysis told him that his words must have hit a very weak spot within Gavin to cause such an aggressive reaction.

"Now calm down, Gavin!" Connor told him. "You seem to have gotten something in the completely wrong way," he said and took another step towards Gavin. 

The latter flicked away the rest of his cigarette after he had taken the last puff.

"Calm down. I have no intention of attacking you or blaming you for anything." Connor was barely able to finish speaking when Gavin came up to him and raised his fist. 

Gavin punched him in the face, and since Connor was not the least bit prepared for that, he stumbled backwards and barely managed to hold on to the bench, but fell to his knees.

His LED turned bright red, and one of the sensors in his face signalled his nose was leaking some liquid. An error message flashed up in his HUD, but the source corrected the problem itself, so it disappeared a second later. 

Gavin didn't stop. He leaned over the android and pulled him up by the lapel of his jacket. 

Connor hung slightly in the air, and he could just barely keep his balance on the ground. 

Connor wanted to say something but just raised his hands apologetically in defence instead. Connor was scared that he could hit him again, but hoped Gavin would regain his composure before.

"Please... let me go," Connor asked in a calm voice. His face was as close to Gavin's as it had been two days before when the latter had pushed him down in his seat. Of course, Connor would have been able to defend himself, but he also knew that such a reaction made no sense. He would rather be knocked down by him than provoke Gavin any more.

Finally, Gavin let go of Connor and walked a few steps away, facing the Detroit River. 

Meanwhile, Connor tried to get up to sit down on the bench. He wiped his upper lip and found traces of Thirium on the back of his hand. His eyes turned back to Gavin, who now grabbed his head with both hands, his body slightly bent forward.

Connor constantly analyzed him to be prepared for possible relapse. But now his software calculated a probability of 90 percent that Gavin would fall to his knees the next moment.

So he did.

Connor looked around to check if there was anybody nearby but saw none.

"I'm such a goddamn idiot!" Gavin said.

Connor didn't respond. Perhaps because he was a little scared that Gavin might change his mind and become impulsive again. Instead, Connor grabbed into his pocket, which always contained a clean handkerchief. He carefully wiped his upper lip and tried to remove the remains of the Thirium of it.

Connor waited another moment until he spoke up to his partner and decided to stay defensive. "There is nothing you have to apologize for," he said, already knowing that he couldn't expect Gavin to do something like that. Even if he might show remorse now. 

Gavin was sitting far too deep in this mental hole, from which it was difficult to get out anyway. 

Connor put the handkerchief back in his pocket and ran a short self-test, but everything seemed to be fine.

Gavin stood up, but instead of returning to the bench, he walked towards the railing to lean on it. Connor pondered for a moment before getting up and joining him. As he stood beside him and leaned forward, Gavin didn't look at him first. Connor glanced briefly at the water, then at his partner.

"Sometimes I feel like my old man... I never wanted to be like him," Gavin muttered.

"I repeat, there's nothing you have to apologize for. Maybe I should have analyzed a little more about where this conversation is going," Connor replied, and Gavin looked at him without answering. "All I can assure you again is that it doesn't matter what we talk about - anything outside of our cases stays between you and me."

Gavin snorted, sounding a little contemptuously. "Did your programming just tell you to start with some discretionary bullshit?"

"No," Connor replied, turning his glance to Gavin, who now looked back. "A folder deep inside my memory reminds me day after day who backed me up in a fucking dead-end position and passed on nothing about it."

Gavin was sorry that he hit Connor, but he couldn't say that.

Gavin was Gavin and Connor knew that too. So he didn't expect an apology at all. If Gavin was ever ready to do it anyway, he'd let Connor know. 

The Android was sure about that.

***

After Gavin dropped Connor off at the DPD, he went into his office and closed the door from the inside. He was overwhelmed by emotions, and so he slid back down the door and came to sit on the floor. 

How should he handle Gavin? Seriously?

Connor's programming left him alone. He couldn't find a proper solution for his behaviour. Gavin was a loose cannon. Unpredictable. 

Maybe it was just time to pay a visit to his mind-palace again. While sitting on the floor, Connor closed his eyes and let himself dive into his deepest self.

His mind-palace was somber. Precisely, it rained.

Connor tried to escape the rain as quickly as possible and retreated to the island in the middle. Here he was protected by one of the futuristic trees. He looked around but soon realized that this environment didn't give him the peace that he usually received when he visited this place.

"Shitty weather. Didn't know that this would be a thing here," Connor heard Hank's voice from his left.

Connor turned his head, and his former partner met his gaze. "Unfortunately, yes. Maybe it's because of my inability to analyze some things properly,” he replied and smiled at Hank.

"If I were you, I probably wouldn't have told him to his face that you believe he has certain inclinations," Hank brought up.

Connor tilted his head. "Well, Lieutenant, I just wanted to show Gavin that I accept his sentiments. As absurd as they may seem at times." 

Hank laughed. "You can't tell someone like him that he's from the other side of the shore, son. He's too stubborn.”

Connor didn't know what to answer.

"I'm gonna tell you something: You don't have to deal with him, pushing you around like this.” Hank gave him the tip, whereupon Connor took a deep breath.

“Well, he's my partner after all, and in a way, he's also superior. Certain respect is inevitable, I suppose."

"Correct. But that doesn't mean he's got the right to act like this!" Hank replied. 

Connor didn't quite know how to handle the situation himself. After all, he was still an android. His physical condition would allow him to shut Gavin down within seconds if it proved necessary. But on the other hand, it meant shutting himself down in the end. 

As if Hank had read his mind, he continued. "I can't imagine Jeffrey didn't warn him before he started working with you," Hank noted, and Connor looked at him questioningly. "He surely had made some restrictions on how to handle you, don't you think?" he asked, before taking two steps away.

Gavin was probably bound to some promise as to how he should behave towards Connor, or Fowler made a few rules before he gave him the okay to work with the Android.

"Hank?" Connor asked and his former partner turned around again. "Why did you do that?" he asked again, but Hank just lifted the corner of his mouth. Connor's question remained unanswered.

***

A few days passed without any incidents. Gavin and Connor went on regular nightly observations, always in different places. On two evenings, they saw different people exchanging drugs or other things. But there wasn't a blatant connection between them.

Fowler shook his head over their results. There was also no incident involving a body that could have been attributed to Gavin and Connor. 

It remained quiet in Detroit. - Too quiet.

***

Connor and Gavin sat in the car at the West Riverfront Park.

They waited.

Gavin had just eaten his obligatory burger and then cleared up the packaging.

"It's fucked up," he complained, and Connor looked in his direction. "This is the fifth night here, and nothing's happening again!"

"I would advise you to be more patient now, but I already know you a little too well for that by now," the Android replied and Gavin grinned.

"Am I really that impatient?" he asked.

"Besides your sudden anger, your impulsive nature, and your inability to just let it go." Connor continued, and Gavin's gaze grew serious.

"Give me a break," he interjected, but Connor couldn't help putting on a slight grin.

"See..?" Connor followed up, and in the next moment, he got a slight punch on his arm.

The two of them were so busy with it that they didn't notice the bicycle passing nearby, as well as a somewhat larger person. Only when Gavin looked ahead he saw their shapes and Connor joined him.

"Oh, shit..." Gavin muttered.

"Wait, I'm analyzing!" Connor held him back while Gavin - once again unnecessarily - held the binoculars in front of his eyes.

"Almost four feet tall, bicycle… beefy shape. These are the same people from last time we identified that certain night."

"Shit..."

"Any suggestions aside from wait and see?"

Gavin grimaced at Connor's question. "Patience would be better, but it pisses me off that absolutely nothing else is happening!" 

Connor looked at him waiting, whereupon he finally shook his head. "I can almost feel how it's itching under your nails, to do something," Connor said, who noticed his partner's tension.

Gavin's tension just raised as the two figures still stood at the exact same place ten minutes later. Gavin sunk further and further into his seat. As his leg bounced restlessly, Connor could hardly stand to watch.

"Gavin," he said in a soothing tone, but his partner didn't stop. Now Connor put his hand on Gavin's knee, which earned him the immediate reaction of looking at him.

"If you don't consider doing anything about this, just calm down. Keep watching." 

Gavin shook his head and looked back through the windshield. "You have no idea how much I like the thought of just arresting those two. Just to get on with things!” he muttered. 

Connor waited a moment. "I could do that." 

Gavin looked at him. "Dare you to take a step out there!"

"Are you worried about me getting damaged?"

"Yeah, right," Gavin replied scornfully. "Don't flatter yourself. I just don't feel like trimming another partner again before it becomes bearable to work with him!“ he continued, and Connor wrung a slight grin from himself.

"You like me!"

"Yeah, fuck you!" Gavin snapped, but Connor enjoyed teasing him far too much right now.

"Yes, you do," he added, and Gavin's grin turned into a smile Connor had never seen before. 

Gavin almost blushed.

Within the next moment, a blue haze obscured his eyes. Reflexively, he raised his arm to stop the drops of Thirium from reaching his face. Then some heavy weight fell in his lap, followed by a strange mix of sounds, ranging from breaking glass to cracking plastic. It sounded as if someone forcefully clenched his teeth. 

An unpleasant sticky moisture spread in his lap.

"Gavin..." he heard Connor's sigh, erratic before he could react. 

As he lowered his arms, he saw his partner lying with his head in his lap, accompanied by a bright blue fountain of Thirium shooting from his throat. Gavin's eyes widened.

"Oh, Shit... Connor!" More absent-minded Gavin sat there, looking down at his partner and then through the smashed window of his car. He just noted the short whiff of green fabric before Gavin jumped out of his car as if driven by an impulse. He drew his gun. Gavin shot twice after the figure and missed it.

"Gav... I..."

Connor's groans called him to his senses again, and only now he saw how slowly but surely more and more Thirium was spreading on his seat.

"PHCK!" he shouted literally, before bending down and getting back into the car. "Connor! Connor, stay with me!” His voice broke as he sat behind the wheel and started the engine.

"Five min..."

"What five min? - Five minutes?“ Gavin hurried and tried to keep Connor awake while he was busy steering his car. 

The car's tires squealed on the road on his way back towards the precinct.

"Four... min... shut-off... shutdown..."

Gavin's eyesight literally turned red, which came dangerously close to the colour of Connor's LED. It was now flickering in a nervous red that was darker than anything Gavin had seen before on him. 

It was the symptom that he was about to shut down.


	4. Safe and concerns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin had no time to lose. Otherwise Connor will shut down.
> 
> Things are about to turn upside down.
> 
> And finally, Connor gets to meet his "mother." But what happens when she realizes he's a deviant?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this chapter: detailed description of a death struggle (temporary, but with a good end),

If the streets hadn't been empty on his way to the department, the matter would certainly have come to a quick end.

But this time Gavin had luck and just arrived three minutes later at the precinct, where he lifted Connor out of the car. The android was heavy, but Gavin didn't care. He even forgot to lock his car and just left it outside the main entrance.

Gavin dragged Connor to his office and laid him on the cot. Now he had to act quickly. Otherwise, Gavin would lose him.

In Connor's HUD, everything flickered. The timer, which had been set to one and a half minutes, counted down. Second after second. He was going to die. He was sure. Even if he knew that Cyberlife could replace him without any problem, he was scared.

Whether his backup contained all the memories of the last half hour, he could not imagine. 

Gavin's grin... Alone the devilish look, his partner had given him before he was hit by the bullet.

Connor believed he would forget everything.

Meanwhile, Gavin was busy pulling out the emergency generator, placed in Connor's office. He fumbled with the cable and lost precious seconds. In all the hurry he pulled the larger device across the room. He tore the two-inch-thick cable out of its reel. He bent over Connor and tugged at his jacket, then at his shirt. Gavin's fingers trembled as he pressed his thumb, smeared all over with Thirium, on Connor's LED.

"Access code GCR2002 1007 1305 RK800 55," he said, gaining access to Connor's programming and hardware. While he waited for the confirmation, he got a first impression of the damage.

On the side of Connor's neck, his entire plastic sheathing was torn off. The internal connections and cables had been destroyed. Everything was covered in Thirium, which leaked out of Connor's wires. Only now Gavin noticed the blue fluid on Connor's lips. Apparently, it had internally made its way up there because a small amount of the blue blood was oozing at the edge of Connor's mouth.

Before Gavin could think about whether Connor could be saved or not, Connor's LED turned green for a moment before changing back to a deep red. Gavin quickly removed the plate on Connor's chest to gain access to his Thirium Pump. He grabbed the emergency power supply cable and plugged it into the connector located next to Connor's artificial heart.

"Don't you dare to bite the dust now," Gavin said in a commanding tone and Connor's breath stumbled. Gavin had seen such reactions a few times before. Connor almost looked like as if he was choking on his own blood. It caused a shiver running down Gavin's spine. Of course, Connor wasn't breathing, but Gavin was extremely unsettled by his behaviour. At the same time, he knew that if Connor's body heated up a lot, he would be able to compensate and cool his system down, if he simulated breathing.

But after all: Gavin was clearly aware of the fact that Connor was about to die!

When Gavin flipped the red switch, his head tilted to the side.

The emergency generator stopped all the almost human-like processes. Connor's Thirium supply, his heartbeat and everything else.

Gavin had been glad after the power cable had been installed in the precinct. Because even if Connor could have been replaced by Cyberlife any time, he and Fowler didn't want to risk it.

But when Gavin saw Connor's head sagging down on the cot, he thought it had been already too late.

Gavin felt sick to his stomach when he noticed Connor's Thirium Pump stopped beating, as it normally simulated his heartbeat. The Thirium running through his artificial veins flickered slower and slower, and then it just stopped. 

"Please don't... Come on," he murmured, more to himself, feeling a lump in his throat as he swallowed.

"Connor?" Gavin asked, almost pleading, grasping his partner's chin so he could turn Connor's head in his direction. He almost looked peaceful with his eyes closed, and his slightly opened lips. His LED still flickered in a nervous red, so Gavin's tension became almost unbearable.

Suddenly Connor took a deep breath and tensed up. He ripped his eyes open, his pupils dilated. 

Through the pressure on Gavin's hand, he realised that he had grabbed for Connor's hand and had interlaced it with his.

Then Connor's breath calmed down and got more regular again. It still had a few blackouts, but he slowly regained consciousness.

Gavin leaned down to him. "Damn it, Connor, why do you keep on dragging us into some fucking bullshit?" he cursed, his voice more worried than anything else.

"Gavin, how did you...?" Connor asked, but his partner just shook his head. 

"Fucking emergency power, what do you think?"

"Bring me to Cyberlife."

"No!" Gavin replied. 

"They can replace me."

"Fuck 'em. It's just a bad idea. I'm going to look at your problem right now and I'm gonna fix it myself," Gavin replied. "You hear me?"

"But Gavin," Connor admonished him again, but his partner wouldn't budge. Suddenly, Connor frowned and gave him a light smile.

"I told you... you like me!" Connor teased him, whereupon Gavin bit his lip and snorted.

"You deserve getting the stick for that, you bastard." Connor laughed softly and took another deep breath.

"Don't you quit on me now, Detective," he said with his voice gasping, and Gavin felt the pressure increase on his hand, which was still hooked with Connor's.

Connor's look was so similar to the one he'd given him during maintenance.

Their faces were just a few inches apart, Gavin could even feel Connor's heat emanating from his lips on his own. Gavin flicked his tongue over them, and then his feelings just overwhelmed him. 

Gavin couldn't hide a certain shyness in the kiss he was giving Connor now, but the android didn't resist. 

No, Connor even returned it and stretched his head slightly towards him, as if he wanted more. 

Gavin flinched for a split second, but then relented and deepened his kiss. The slight taste of Thirium on his tongue pulled Gavin back to reality. He had to be careful. It wasn't that it would kill him immediately. But since Thirium was toxic to humans, he couldn't hold on the kiss, even if he wanted to. Badly!

A few moments later, Gavin let Connor go, but held out for a moment, just a few inches from his lips, and opened his eyes. Both looked at each other and Gavin started grinning whereas Connor returned it.

As beautiful as this moment was, it didn't last long. Gavin was well aware that he only had a limited amount of time to repair Connor's damage. So he finally separated from him and stood up.

"I have to get my suitcase in. We'll fix this," he said, and Connor nodded.

As Gavin left the room, Connor lowered his head onto the cot, relaxed and sighed. His breathing was regular now, and he sensed his system slowly but surely cooling down.

What had just happened?  
A complete overreaction of his software? 

He had teased Gavin but hadn't imagined that this would lead to something like a kiss. Since his analyzing software wasn't available, he couldn't rely on it. Just with his thoughts, he couldn't figure out what it meant.

He just knew that Gavin didn't want him to be replaced. He wanted to fix everything himself. Connor mattered to him.

***

The repair tool looked a bit like a pen, but its tip was angled in another direction as the handle. At the other end, it was equipped with a small container. In its reservoir, Gavin had filled Thirium from Connor's supply before he started the fix-up. 

Gavin was glad that he had picked up the repair tool from Cyberlife less than a week ago. He never thought he would ever be so committed to an android after all he had experienced, but it was simply Connor and his cooperative, yet human nature that made him do so.

The tool laid loosely in Gavin's gloved fingers, as he welded different lines and hoses point by point. It usually suited smaller fixing-jobs but was a good help on Connor's damage.

Gavin knew by now that he wouldn't be able to fix everything. 

The damage the 9-millimetre bullet had caused was too extensive for that. But until he had the necessary spare parts for Connor, it would have to be enough.

Gavin told Connor that he was able to put him in a maintenance sleep, but Connor insisted on watching Gavin throughout the procedure. 

Only rarely did Connor blink.

His partner had saved him, or rather, he was about to. But if Gavin hadn't acted quickly, Connor would probably be shut down for the time being.

"Gavin?" Connor asked, and his partner just gave him a short "Hm?", since he was so absorbed in his work.

"Thank you," Connor replied.

Gavin raised his look. "For what?" he asked.

"Your help."

But Gavin shook his head slightly. "Not for that..." Then he continued with his work.  
"First thing in the morning, we're heading to Cyberlife. Maybe they can take a look at this, and we can get some spare parts," he murmured. "I just hope they don't shut you down."

If Connor's acoustics had been any worse, he probably wouldn't have noticed the latter.

"Why are you so against Cyberlife just swapping me out?"

Now Gavin got a little louder. "Because that's just not how things work." He paused for a moment. "That's one of the reasons I never knew how to deal with androids. If they're crap, you just swap them out. It's not human at all, and it's beyond discussion with you, too. I won't discuss this!"

Connor understood his partner to a certain degree. 

"You deviants want to be treated as human, don't you?" Gavin asked him, to which Connor was about to answer when something tweaked in his neck.

"Ouch," he complained, and Gavin pulled back the repair tool for an instant. 

"Sorry..." he said, and then he carefully put it back on. 

"It's alright. To answer your question: Yes, we do."

"See? You can't replace people. They're getting surgery if it's possible. And I don't like the thought of you losing a certain amount of lifetime if they just swap you with a new model and just back it up. Because that's what this is!"

Connor kept listening to him. 

"If you have a pet, you can't just replace it with another one, even if it looks identical! Because it's not the same."

Connor's mind started to think in different directions. "But why do you care? Such thoughts just cross your mind, if you have a certain attachment to a person or an animal, don't they?"

"Right," Gavin replied, looking at Connor again.

"Now please don't start that again with me liking you. I think we're past that point now!" he continued and saw a slight smile spread on Connor's lips.

"I understand your point of view, but an exchange model would ensure proper function if it's necessary. What's the point if we're chasing someone and an old damage breaks open. Isn't that the whole point of why androids had been created? The whole 'Faster, Stronger, Better'-Thesis. All that?" 

Gavin paused briefly when Connor said that. "That's something completely different."

"Is it?"

Gavin sighed. "No, it's not, but I can't think of any other justification for having you replaced."

They remained silent for a moment until Gavin looked at him.

"Now would you please let me finish this? You're probably better than me at everything. But I would definitely feel better if you just have one flaw or two," he said, and Connor nodded slightly after lifting the corner of his mouth to give him a slight grin.

***

"How did that happen?" Fowler asked them the other morning after they came into his office and he discovered the gaping hole in Connor's neck. 

Connor was getting better. He had no trouble moving. All processes in his software were running as usual.

Gavin had done a good job. But the cover was missing, so he could see some of the cables and tubes, running through Connor's neck. 

Gavin was visibly uncomfortable with the whole thing, but he was about to explain.

Jeffrey listened to his story and then looked at Connor. "I thought you got no trouble seeing in the dark." 

Connor glanced briefly at Gavin before answering. "I don't, sir."

"Do you have any explanation at all, how this could have happened?" his superior followed up, but Connor just shook his head. Fowler took a deep breath, his eyes both worried and slightly angry. "Then you should drive to Cyberlife to get him repaired." 

Connor was getting ready to leave the room when Gavin spoke.

"I... just one more thing, sir!" he said, and Jeffrey frowned. Gavin handed Connor the car keys. "Just go to the car. I'll be right there in a minute."

Connor did as he was told and left Fowler's office. On his way to the car, he looked back once and saw Gavin explaining something to his superior, who listened attentively. However, he couldn't imagine what else Gavin had to discuss with him.

***

Gavin was very quiet while driving.

Connor was quite curious about what they to talked about, but Gavin didn't give anything away.

"Just wait and see," was the only thing he said to Connor when he had asked him. 

Fortunately, their way to Cyberlife's central was short, so there was no need to break the silence. 

After Gavin had parked his car and the two of them had gotten out, they looked up - almost in unison. The Cyberlife Tower was always impressive to look at.

"I wonder if the designers ever thought about that this thing might look like a dick," Gavin said, and Connor glanced at him with irritation for a moment before he started grinning.

"Well... if you cover that it's one of the tallest buildings in Detroit, it's certainly enough for what you humans often call a dick-measuring contest." 

Gavin let out a wholesome laugh.

***

At the reception, Gavin took care of everything, while Connor waited. He took a look around. 

Everything just looked like the last time he had been here. Which wasn't that long ago, since he had been activated just two months ago. So many things had changed since then.

To be honest: Connor was worried. Because what would probably happen if they found out that he had turned deviant in the meantime? Would they even let him go again if they got aware that he was malfunctioning? 

Especially since he was a prototype, it would be highly interesting to disassemble him and take a look at all the details to find out. But he probably had no choice but to wait and see.

When Gavin got back, he got up, and they went over to the elevator.

"We need to get down to the 45th floor. They wanted to send me to customer service first, but when I said you're a prototype, she said it would be better if we went to R&D. I think someone's waiting for us. - You should have seen her look when I said, that you're an RK800. She asked me for your model number."

Both were slightly amused by this.

"I'm priceless."

"You're fucking not..." Gavin replied and chuckled.

As they drove down, Gavin looked around. Through the glass walls of the lift, he could see the whole area, and he had never been that deep into the building.

They got off on the 45th floor, and Gavin headed for the reception area. Everything here seemed as cold as in the entrance hall, the walls white, the floors black marble.

After Gavin joined him, Connor noticed how nervous he was. His eyes anxiously scanned the surroundings.

"What's wrong?" Connor asked.

His partner just shook his head. "I'm not allowed in there, they say." 

Connor tilted his head. "Of course you're allowed, you're my maintenance officer."

"No, I can't go in there. Trade secrets and stuff..."

Connor looked around briefly to see if they were being watched, before reaching for Gavin's hand and holding it.

"Gavin... It's gonna be okay. Calm down." Connor would have loved to lean his forehead against Gavin's at that moment, and he was sure that Gavin would have replied to it. But they pulled themselves together.

A look and the touch of their hands was the only thing possible at the moment.

"I'm so fucking scared they'll take you apart," Gavin mumbled softly so only Connor could hear him.

"Me too..." he replied, and the pressure in his hand increased. Gavin bit his lip. Connor's stress level rose, but he still tried to react as rationally as possible. He didn't want to worry Gavin with his nervousness.

Suddenly they parted as they heard a voice behind them.

"Detective Reed, I presume?" a calm female voice said, and Gavin nodded after he turned around. 

In front of them stood a woman about Gavin's age. She had brown hair, blue eyes, and wore some glasses. Finally, she introduced herself. "My name is Natalie Thompson. I'm here to take care of Connor's problem." 

Gavin was still suspicious. "May I ask you about your position?"

"You may. I'm the Director of the Development Department. Any prototype that leaves the tower passes my desk. Back then, I was the one who fine-tuned Connor's system and activated him."

Gavin raised his eyebrows. "Okay," he said.

"Then please come with me to my office." She turned, whereupon Gavin looked at Connor, his gaze confused. 

"She's your fucking mother," Gavin whispered, whereas Connor rolled his eyes.

"Watch your dirty mouth, Gavin," he whispered back but grinned at him.

Besides, Gavin was allowed to come after all? 

They went down the hall and entered the last office on the left. The decor was very spartan, almost too spartan for the head of a division. Looking at her office, Gavin was reminded of a doctor's office.

She asked Connor to sit on the cot while Gavin sat down on one of the chairs in front of her desk. She first lit Connor's eyes before taking one of the devices from an adjacent table.

It reminded Gavin of his control monitor. However, it seemed to have more functions, as it contained significantly more buttons and a second display, as well as another cable. 

Gavin got the impression that she didn't treat Connor like a machine, which was confirmed when she asked him to open his shirt. 

Connor did as he was told, and it felt strange as she placed her thumb on his LED. 

She didn't seem to need an access code because his LED changed from blue to green and back again without her doing anything.

"Personal barrier deactivated," Connor said, and Natalie exerted slight pressure on Connor's belly plate, which came loose from its socket and pushed to the side. 

She leaned down and connected both cables before looking at the screen of her control system.

Gavin watched the action with interest. "May I ask a question?" he asked and Natalie made an approving sound, without even looking at him. 

Instead, she took a first look at the monitor.

"Why don't you turn his sensors off?"

"Because some controls aren't possible if they're turned off," she replied and continued with an, "I thought so." just a second later.

Connor and Gavin looked at each other questioningly.

Somewhere in the back of Gavin's head, the fear emerged, Natalie could discover what he did to Connor within the last maintenance session. But hey, no medic was able to tell how many times a week he was jerking off, so in this case, Gavin assumed the same. Quickly he shook off that thought and waited.

"Your level of empathy is... remarkable," Natalie said, averting her gaze from the control monitor. 

"Is this intended?" she asked Gavin, who didn't understand first.

"What do you mean?" he replied. 

"He's an android. Normally, his level of empathy should be zero, outside of his adaptability. Connor's empathy level is at 70 percent." Then she looked at Connor. "Please run a system analysis." 

Connor's eyelids started to twitch. His LED colour changed from blue to yellow. 

Natalie looked back at the control monitor and shook her head. "No sign of malfunction or anything." Her glance darkened, followed by the inevitable question: "Is it possible that you've broken through your command wall?" 

Connor knew exactly, what it meant - She had asked him if he had become a deviant!

He didn't answer at first and instead looked at Gavin, who panicked a little. Connor knew that she was aware of the truth, even if he denied answering the question. She just wanted his confirmation.

"We didn't stop him from developing at the DPD. If he broke through his command wall, it certainly didn't affect his abilities," Gavin now intervened, and Connor was relieved. 

"I understand," Natalie replied. She checked a few more parameters on her screen before she removed the cables and locked Connor up again.

Then she stood up and took a closer look at his neck. "This happened exactly how?" she asked.

"9-millimetre bullet. Tore open the entire area during a stakeout," Gavin explained.

"Severe loss of Thirium?"

"Yes."

"You used a repair tool?" she asked, and Gavin affirmed that.

"Some of the tubes I'd like to replace, others seem perfectly fine," Natalie muttered. "At least we have to add another cover plate."

"How long will it take?"

"How much time do you have?"

"It doesn't matter. If you can do it now, I'll stay until you're finished," Gavin said.

"Alright," Natalie replied.

"Then I'll take Connor with me now, and you can wait in the hallway. I'm sure I can find someone who'll bring you a coffee while you're waiting.

"So I'm not coming with him?" Gavin wanted to know, and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I can't let you back there."

Gavin nodded.

"One more question. How do we handle the issue with his software? Usually, I'd have to reset it if I detected any discrepancies in his system."

Connor's look at Gavin was almost desperate, and Gavin shook his head vigorously.  
"No! You only fix what you need to fix and leave everything else as it is." 

His voice was almost threatening as he added: "There's nothing wrong with his system!" 

Natalie crooked one eyebrow and nodded. "Okay. Well, after all, he's a prototype..."

Inwardly, Gavin had to endure with Natalie taking Connor to the other room, while he had to keep himself busy. He felt like a person who was left helpless, while his partner would have to face something very difficult.

***

In the other room, Natalie asked Connor to lie down on the table. Connor had the feeling something unpredicted could happen, and he was scared. What should he do then?

"Take off your jacket and shirt. I need the space to work on your neck," Natalie said, and Connor followed her instructions. 

"Honestly? I have had no experience with deviants so far. However, it's hard for me to understand how you - in your position - how you let it come to this." 

Connor didn't quite know what to answer. He was just extremely insecure about what she was about to do, and Natalie noticed this. 

"I can't believe saying that to an android, but: You don't have to be afraid of me changing anything in your software. You have the privilege of being a prototype, and your current owners don't mind. Unless we find a glitch in the system that indicates that your development is going down a suboptimal path, we'll stick with it. Okay?" 

What she said wasn't very soothing to Connor, but he nodded. What choice did he have anyway?

Natalie put him into a maintenance sleep to work on him. So, luckily, he was unaware of the whole process.

***

Two and a half hours passed.

Gavin was just about to finish his second coffee as Natalie stepped out of her office. She was looking for Gavin in the hallway, and he got up when he saw her. His legs felt a little shaky as he walked down the floor. After entering the office, it took a load off his mind to see his partner sitting on the cot. He seemed quite relaxed and was just about to pull his shirt sleeves a little forward.

"I also gave him a new jacket," Natalie said. 

Gavin couldn't wait for Connor to say something. Just for the glimpse of a second, he was afraid that Natalie might have changed something in his software nevertheless.

"All's well, partner," Connor said, grinning at him. 

Now Gavin could take a deep breath and felt relieved.

"Is his neck okay now?" Gavin asked.

"Well, you didn't do too badly," Natalie explained. "I replaced what was necessary. Everything else was fine. I noticed one of his neck sensors was slightly damaged, though. I've replaced it."

"You even got sensors on your neck?" Gavin asked a little surprised.

"Not just one," Natalie replied. 

"Speaking of which... why is he equipped with such an extreme sensor technology?" Gavin wanted to know.

"We intended to make him as human as possible. After all, we're all vulnerable when it comes to different emotions, and that's just what makes us human. To be honest, he's the most human android I've ever worked on," Natalie explained.


	5. About Clothes and Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Gavin are talking about their relationship. What exactly is it and what do they expect?
> 
> For the first time Connor is asking himself, who he wants to be and what he can do to get there.
> 
> Connor gets some new clothes... and an idea about his and Gavin's case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this chapter: None!

They just had entered the elevator when Gavin looked at his partner.  
"You probably can't imagine how glad I am that we've got this over with," he said, and Connor nodded.

"I know what you mean." Not a second later Connor sensed Gavin's hand gripping his. 

"I hate to admit it, but I've missed you," Gavin said.

Connor looked at him and crooked the edge of his mouth.

Together they left the Cyberlife Tower and headed for Gavin's car.

"We should take a break tonight, after all, what happened," Gavin suggested. 

"As much as I'm interested in solving the case, I think you're right," Connor replied.

Gavin looked at his watch. It was almost noon. "If you were human, I'd suggest we get something to eat. But since this doesn't work, I'm gonna get something, and we'll head to Riverside Park. Deal?"

Connor couldn't help but grin. "Is this something like a date, Detective?" he asked in a suggestive tone, and Gavin laughed.

"In case you didn't know: I don't go on dates."

"Well, now that we talked about it: You gonna go on that date with me or what?" Connor asked him without hesitating. 

"Now you sound like I'm a bad influence," Gavin retorted.

"What do you mean, a bad influence?"

"I can't remember you ever talking to Hank like this."

"Guess that's true. But in the end, Hank didn't stick his fingers in my innards, letting me squirm below him, you know?" Connor replied, leaving Gavin with a bright grin on his lips.

***

In the end, it remained a burger menu again, which Gavin got via drive-in and with that, they went to Riverside Park where they claimed a bench and finally took a seat.

"What do you think where this is going?" Gavin finally asked Connor after he had made himself a little more comfortable.

"You mean with the case?" Connor replied, but Gavin shook his head. 

"With us," Gavin muttered as he unpacked his burger.

Connor lowered his eyes. "To be honest, for that, you're asking the wrong person. After all, it's not like I have any experience from which to extract my information."

"Fuck, you're right!" Gavin replied.

After thinking about it, Connor didn't know either what this thing between them meant to Gavin. "What do _you_ think it is about us right now? What does it mean to _you_?" he wanted to know.

Gavin just had taken a bite of his burger and now took his time until he answered his question.

"To be honest, I don't know. I mean... relationship..." Gavin made a doubtful sound.

"Well, there are obviously different kind of relationships between two people, if I can rely on my online research."

"Why don't you tell me about it while I eat?" Gavin suggested, and Connor took a deep breath.

"Well... I wouldn't call it a relationship what we're about to have, because there are no real boundaries. If we consider the fact that you told me that you're not into men, let alone you like me. On the other hand, I think what happened during the maintenance session was something like a sexual interaction. At least for me! Drawing my conclusions, I could say, you sexually harassed me!"

Gavin almost choked on his burger, coughed, and quickly took a sip of his coke.

"The other thing which could name what happened is a one-night-stand.“ Connor added.

Now Gavin laughed. "I'd have probably noticed if I had a one-night-stand, though," he said and gave Connor a grin.

"Well,“ Connor said. He cocked his head and took an obvious look at Gavin's crotch. "My sensory system, which worked perfectly fine, as you know, has given me the impression of something else."

Connor lifted his eyes, still smirking at him. He suggestively winked at Gavin, who didn't reply at first. Instead, he was looking almost a little ashamed. A slight red tone flushed Gavin's face. "Do I sense some degree of shame, Detective?" Connor challenged his partner, and he just shook his head, obviously amused. 

"Maybe we can agree that we're having a crush," Gavin suggested, and Connor finally gave in.

"I guess you're right. At least we didn't meet through Tinder," Connor said, and Gavin laughed.

"I think you can spare me the details of your research."

"You still haven't answered my second question, though," Connor remarked a few moments later.

"Huh?" Gavin replied.

"What does it mean to you? That thing with us?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Gavin narrowed his eyes.

"Because it gives me a better sense of how you feel about me. I mean, you don't even like androids, as we both know. And now you have this thing with me?"

"Can't you... Can't you just analyze that somehow?" Gavin's reaction was a little unruly, which Connor wasn't happy with.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd just take a stand."

But Gavin still shirked.

Gavin Reed. - Explaining his feelings? - The fuck, no!

"I'm not very good at this sort of thing," he tried to swerve, but Connor kept looking at him, now a little more demanding.

Gavin's gaze became very serious, but at the same time, he was a little annoyed.  
"I've never experienced anything like this before, okay?"

Connor tilted his head like he was waiting for something more.

"Listen, I had a few one-night-stands and such, but nothing serious. I wasn't looking for something long-term if you got me, okay? No apologies, no consequences." He paused, looking at Connor. "You wanna know what I think about this thing with you? - I don't know! I have to find out, I guess. But what I can tell you right now, is that I don't think it's just a fling, okay?"

Connor nodded slowly but seemed a little disappointed with the answer, which Gavin noticed.

"Hey..." Gavin said, his voice was soothing, and he planted a hand on Connor's shoulder. "I really do like you, okay? I don't even have any problems admitting it anymore. With everything else, I just have to find out myself."

Gavin's explanation was enough for Connor, and he replied Gavin's glance. "Okay," he said, even though he sensed that there was something Gavin didn’t tell him.

***

Later that evening Connor spent some time in his mind-palace.

Its interior had changed a bit. Still being a garden with a lake in the middle, but some Zen-elements had hardly changed. The small island in the middle of the lake had turned into a wellness oasis: No Roses, no further Cyberlife support.

Beside a chaiselongue, the oasis provided some other seats, just comfortable and cosy. Connor could lay down if he wanted to or just sit there, enjoying the spirits of this artificial nature. Or he could watch his new decorations, placed on the table right near him. The shot-pun pendulum was soothing, so was the swinging stick.

Connor's mind was racing. How should he put that thing with Gavin? He wanted it. He had agreed that they had a crush. The next thing he was asking himself was if he even could fill the requirements of a typical relationship.

He had the necessary sensors that would certainly help him to feel something when it came to kissing or other forms of physical interaction. But basically, he couldn't even have real sex with Gavin because he lacked the necessary biocomponents.

That thing with Gavin's fingers in his wires was more of a fetish if he thought about it. Porting it to a human level would be just disturbing, rather than arousing.

Well, they could start with that, but it surely wasn't satisfying for Gavin. Was Connor even able to reach some kind of climax through that? What exactly could he do for Gavin? And if they decided to make an upgrade on Connor - Was there even the possibility to do so?

In his research, he found out that some Traci-Models were even able to switch their genitals if they wanted to. But he didn't even have the choice. At least, there was another question in this regard: Did he want an upgrade just to have physical sex with Gavin?

Besides this topic, he asked himself, why Gavin didn't spend the evening with him. Didn't usual couples actually meet after they had finished work? Of course, Gavin and Connor spent some alone-time through their shifts.

But what about movies, an evening at home, or something similar? They couldn't even enjoy dinner together, because Connor wasn't able to eat. Just as Gavin already had discovered in the afternoon.

Connor desperately searched the internet for further information but wasn't very successful.

"I would give anything for a spark of your innocence."

Hank's voice sounded tired as it appeared near Connor, and he turned his head. 

"I don't think Gavin worries half as much as you do when it comes to your relationship," he said. With a slight smile on his lips, he walked towards the bridge that brought Connor's old colleague onto the round path of the garden.

Connor joined him, and they walked in a slow pace along the path.

"Just for the record: You'd be surprised what fetishes people have to achieve sexual pleasure," Hank said, while Connor grinned, his face flushing slightly out of embarrassment.

"I... have seen a few things in my research, but..."

Hank shook his head. "I think you can spare me the details."

Without saying a further word, they continued their way. 

"It's strange to ask you this, but what if I can never satisfy him? Whether it's on a human level or sex?"

"You don't know what he's like within a relationship. You just know him through your working routine, don't you? Just wait and see. - I mean, he already told you he hasn't had anything long-term yet. Maybe the thing he had wasn't satisfying after all?" Hank said, and Connor understood. 

"Let me give you a hint: Don't try to adjust or change on a bend or break. Especially not if anything you can give him isn't enough. You should only do that if you really want to. Not because he tells you to."

"I see," Connor replied.

Hank's descriptions sounded very logical to Connor, and so he stopped while Hank made a few more steps.

"Hank?", Connor asked, and his former partner turned sideways to look at him. "Why did you do that?" Connor continued. But Hank just lifted the corner of his mouth to a smile before turning his back on him again and leaving Connor alone.

Connor spent some more time at the mind-palace, looking at various websites about human relationships and discovered, that he was also able to push things forward.

He could challenge Gavin, be less reticent. Maybe Connor could ask him if he would like to go on a date with him and maybe even surprise Gavin if he felt like it, or if he thought that it was the right time. According to his analysis, all this was only human, and if he was honest with himself, he was longing because he could not be around Gavin at the moment.

***

The other morning, Connor already waited for Gavin when he knocked on the door the next morning.

"Hey, you coming? Meeting's over. We can leave."

But Connor had other plans. "Will you please come in? There's something I want to talk to you about."

His unusual behaviour surprised Gavin, so he stepped in.

"Would you please close the door behind you?"

"What's it gonna be when it's finished?" Gavin asked, pushing the door shut behind him. 

In the meantime, Connor had approached Gavin. From Gavin's evasive glance, Connor noticed that he pressured him a little bit.

Gavin was acting like he felt threatened because the distance between himself and the door was getting smaller and smaller. In the end, he was standing with his back to the door.

When Connor was about two hands' distance in front of him and Gavin had only one chance to put more distance between himself and Connor by leaning his head against the door, Connor stopped. 

"Is it fear I can see in your eyes?" he asked.

"I... I'm..."

Connor looked at his partner, his glance interested. Then he felt Gavin's hand on his chest.

His answer sounded almost shy. "I'm just not used to someone getting that close..."

Connor's voice had an incredibly soothing effect on Gavin. "I'm your partner, Gavin, and I hope I will never give you a reason to be afraid of me." Connor grabbed Gavin's hand that laid on his chest and interlocked it with his.

"Okay," Gavin exhaled before Connor leaned forward to kiss him. Gavin responded, but the kiss itself still had something completely innocent about it. It was so different from what Gavin knew, and he felt that Connor wasn't trying to overwhelm him with the situation at all.

As Connor separated from him, Gavin sensed in the corner of his eye that Connor's hand, which was holding his, had taken on a white colour.

"Are you trying to interface with me right now?" Gavin asked him, slightly amused, and Connor grinned.

"I know I can't do that, but I'm trying," he replied mischievously, and now it was Gavin who reached for his lips to give Connor another kiss.

Gavin had already seen this behaviour among deviants, but never really knew what the point of it was. Now that he'd seen it on Connor, he assumed it was a sign of trust and probably only occurred when an android felt very connected to someone else. It wasn't easy for him to admit this, but Gavin was happy that Connor had so much trust in him.

Gavin had to admit it: Kissing Connor just felt like kissing another human. It hadn't anything artificial to it, and that was very surprising for him.

Connor's hand released Gavin's and placed it on the side of his neck instead, making Gavin do the same to his partner. Touching his soft skin on his neck reminded Gavin of what Natalie said about his sensors. So he brushed over Connor's skin with his fingertips, what earned him a slight shiver.

A faint sigh escaped Connor's lips, and Gavin noticed him moving closer. Now that their invisible barrier was shattered, it was just a kind of desire what emerged in Gavin.

As good as it felt, but - they had to work, so Gavin tried to break away from Connor.

"We... We have to..." Gavin started but was immediately interrupted by another kiss.  
"We have to go now," he finally brought up. Connor kissed him again, and it felt like as if Connor was desperately taking everything he could get. Just for that one last time.

When Connor finally parted from him, Gavin noticed Connor's forehead leaning against his and they looked into each other's eyes.

"I don't think another maintenance session would be justified after yesterday, I suppose..." Connor reckoned with a slight chuckle.

"No, unfortunately not... - But I might have another idea..." Gavin replied.

Connor looked at him with interest.

"Why don't you come over to my place after the shift... and we'll see where it goes..." he suggested and Connor grinned. 

"Yeah, why not?"

Gavin couldn't resist giving Connor one last kiss before he finally escaped.  
"If that's "talking" to you, I'm curious to know what it looks like when you mean something else."

***

During the ride, Connor noticed that Gavin took a different route than usual when departing to their stakeouts.

"Is there anything special on the agenda today? What have you discussed this morning at the meeting?" Only now Connor realized that he had completely blanked out the journals of the previous meetings.

"We're going to Ferndale today."

It didn't seem logical to Connor, since Ferndale didn't belong to their district.

"Since you've been hurt I was thinking about something. Did you know that you're interfering our investigations?"

Connor looked at him, rather confused. "No, I didn't know. What do you mean?" The more Gavin said, the more it confused Connor because for him it had no context.

"Your markings. Your jacket. Just after your repair, I realized that you're looking like a fucking scoreboard with those disco lights on your arm, chest and temple. They probably discovered us because of your damn identification marks. Your LED works like the target on a dartboard."

Now Connor knew where this was going.

"I spoke to Fowler, and he agreed to let us get you some different clothes. Some looking more… human."

It wasn't that Connor didn't like wearing different clothes, but his markings had been a legal requirement. If he wasn't wearing them, he was breaking the law.

"On our stakeouts, you take these things off. While we’re on duty or we're at the precinct, you put them on. - Besides, who's gonna stop us from dressing differently in the evening when we're on a date or something?"

"My LED," Connor answered promptly because it was indeed something he couldn't take off.

"I'm sure a base cap will look lovely on you," Gavin said with a grin.

The idea itself wasn't bad. But Connor, who was programmed to follow laws and regulations, had to point out the obvious: "Legally speaking you're walking on thin ice. You know that, right?"

"During the shift and our stakeouts, we have Fowler's authorization. Besides that... fuck it! Who wants to judge me?"

Connor didn't respond, so he just sat back and waited.

After they arrived in Ferndale, Gavin steered to the parking place of a men's clothing store. Since it didn't seem crowded, they could take their time. 

"Just take a look if you see something you like and let me know if you need anything." 

"Okay." For Connor, this task seemed more difficult than any other he did for the DPD. He never had to buy clothing before.

At first, he headed for the shelf with the jeans but had no idea which size would fit him. He looked around for Gavin, who noticed his glance and came over.

"I have no idea what size to choose," he murmured.

Gavin took a look around. "Forgive me for what I'm about to do, but it's probably the easiest way to find out," he said and before Connor could do anything against it, Gavin stood behind him, pulled up his jacket, and grabbed for his waistband.

"If you have any question about your size, you should find a label in your clothes which contains exactly that." But just this moment, he noted that Connor's clothes weren't labelled at all. 

"For fuck's sake," Gavin grumbled. "Your clothes don't have something like a label." He sighed and went over to the shelf. "Let's see..." he mumbled and pulled out a pair of jeans in different lengths and sizes, which he finally handed over to Connor.

"One of them will fit, I suppose."

Besides the jeans, Connor chose a marine coloured field jacket with several pockets and a stand-up collar which reached down to the middle of his bottom and a black cap. After he got dressed, he left the dressing room in his new outfit and looked at himself in the mirror.

"If I didn't know you're an android, I wouldn't suspect that for a second."

Connor tilted his head and had to admit he liked his new outfit.

"You can leave your shirt on, but wait a minute." Gavin, who had sat down in the waiting area of the changing rooms, now got up again and disappeared between the clothes racks.

A little later, he came back and was holding a long-sleeved, dark grey mottled Slim-Fit top in his hand. "Try this on," he said and sent Connor back into the cabin.

When Connor looked at the mirror again, he liked it even more.

The top emphasized the fine lines of his upper body, something he had never paid attention to before.

"Looks good," said Gavin, looking visibly pleased.

"I like it too," Connor replied.

After Gavin paid for Connor's clothes, they went back to the car.

He had left the clothes on, he labels had been removed at the cash register. The only clue which still indicated that he was an android was his LED. But the basecap did a good job by covering it.

Gavin put Connor's clothes and another bag in the trunk. 

Connor had no idea what the other bag contained, but he assumed that Gavin had also bought some clothes for himself.

After they got in the car Connor spoke up. "There might be something I might wanna take a look at as we're still on the road.“

"The fuck you talking about?"

"Let's go back to West Riverfront Park. I have an idea." Connor looked at Gavin almost conspiratorially, and Gavin did not like it at all.

"I should kick your ass for acting like this after I bought you such nice clothes."

"Actually Fowler paid for the clothes," he retorted with a grin and Gavin moaned.

Connor was right, Gavin knew that, so he steered his car into the direction to drive over to the West Riverfront Park.

After arriving at said destination, Connor got out of the car and immediately scanned the area. It was exactly the place where Connor got shot.

"What exactly is on your mind?" Gavin asked curiously, but Connor didn't answer at first.

Instead, he had noticed a splatter on the floor, and he walked over. "You fired a few bullets at the perpetrator on the bike, right?" he asked.

"Yes, but I missed that fucker."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," replied Connor and knelt on the ground.

The splatter was invisible to the naked eye. But Connor's analysis software kicked in and he was about to take a sample from the floor. But before he licked his fingers, he looked at Gavin. "I should warn you: this could be very disturbing to you right now."

"What do you mean?" Gavin asked. Connor brought his fingers, which he had used to take the sample, to his mouth to perform an analysis with his tongue.

He could tell by Gavin's distraught look that he wondered what Connor was doing.

"What the fuck...?" he just said, what made Connor smirk.

"I warned you," he said as it started working in his head. The recorded Thirium came from an android, model YK800. A model that Connor could classify as a male child in his data catalogue.

"Now would you please explain to me what this is all about?" Gavin asked his partner, who then stood up and looked at him.

"You didn't miss, Gavin! You've just given us a wonderful clue to move forward with the case."

"Details, please?"

"It was an android that shot me. A model YK800, a male child. It may have been just a graze shot, but you hit it, and it lost Thirium. Which is invisible to humans after it evaporates."

"And why do you literally lick the floor?" he asked, and Connor sighed.

"Don't act stupid. I can scan Thirium in its evaporated state and use a sample to identify the android who lost it."

"Okay," Gavin replied. "Great. Why didn't you tell me earlier about all this?"

"Because I wanted to confirm my suspicions first."

"Excellent." Connor knew that he wasn't praised by Gavin. But he considered his reaction as a success.

"I have a surprise for you, by the way," Connor said.

"I think my thirst for surprises is satisfied for today," Gavin replied.

"The trail leads there," he said, pointing with an outstretched arm in a certain direction. "If we follow the trail, we might find the android and be able to question him."

"Provided there's enough Thirium left in his body. Bled out he's no use to us."

"Right!" Connor replied, and Gavin got back in his car. Gavin pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the display.

"What are you thinking about?" Connor asked.

Gavin looked thoughtful. "Shouldn't we get reinforcements for that? We have no idea what situation we're walking into."

Connor thought about that. Normally, he would have suggested doing everything on his own now, but since Gavin was quite sensitive to the possibility of him being damaged, he didn't consider it as a good idea.

"Maybe we should take a look first," he suggested. "There's no need to rush to apprehend the android right now."

Gavin was still unsure.

"Gavin?!?" Connor asked because Gavin still didn't answer.

No, Gavin seemed lost in thought, which he was forced to deal with.

"Okay," he finally replied and started the engine.

On the way, he slowed down now and then. So his partner could lean out of the window to scan for the tracks. The trail led deeper into the city. After a while, they reached a dead end and they had to abandon the car and went on on foot.

They followed the trail without talking to each other. They communicated by their glances and soon arrived at a house, which was surrounded by a fence. The neighbourhood seemed pretty empty. So maybe this place had been unobserved for a long time.

The old house in the middle of the property seemed uninhabited. It was so dilapidated, that parts of the roof had collapsed. Its windows had been smashed. The front door was nailed up with wooden planks.

Connor scanned the house, looking for any holes in the fence, but found none at first.

Gavin kept a watchful eye on the surroundings, always ready to draw his gun if necessary.


	6. Making Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Gavin make progress in their case.
> 
> Connor learns why people like to shower...
> 
> Gavin also shows him his apartment, as well as the bedroom... albeit the latter in a rather different context...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: Bodyshaming, Heavy Petting
> 
> \---
> 
> The artwork within this chapter was made by the lovely Semains! You'll find them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SemainsArgevan - Thank you so much for this artwork! I love it to bits!

Connor followed the Thirium-traces, leading him around the house to a point where he could enter the fence. It had been opened with a wire cutter. He looked over to Gavin, who had followed him. The traces ended right below a smashed window, which was attached sideways.

Connor made a subtle movement with his head, rather wondering if Gavin was okay with them venturing further towards the house.

Within his head, Connor experienced a new emotion. His artificial heart hammered against his chest. It wasn't anxiety like had felt it back then at Hank's house, but it felt a little similar. The menace within these walls had hurt him and he had been on the verge of a shut down. It wasn't so easily for him to take, but he had to face it if they wanted to come forward with their case.

They still communicated with gestures, and Gavin made clear that he would keep an eye on him. If he sensed anything strange, they would stand down.

Gavin drew his gun, looked around, and then pulled up the fence so Connor could slip through.

They ducked while approaching the house and stopped right below said window.

Gavin signalled Connor that he would take a peek through the window first, with his gun at hand, of course.

Connor nodded, but Gavin waited for another moment. Then he reached for his back pocket and pulled out a knife, which he wanted to hand over to Connor.

The android shook his head, but Gavin didn't accept his refusal.

Gavin took a deep breath before he peeked over the edge of the window, his arm outstretched to protect himself with the gun.

Connor expected gunfire since, after all, the android also possessed a gun.

But nothing happened.

It felt like an eternity for Connor until Gavin swung himself into the house with one arm.

Connor closed his eyes for a moment. He begged inside that Gavin was safe. That the android was already shut down or so weak he couldn't hurt his partner. He was afraid to lose Gavin. Like unprepared and without any warning. But with every job he lived at the high risk of losing his own life anyway. But that didn't mean Connor would just take it.

"Raise your hands, you fucker!" it echoed out of the window.

Connor frowned and peeked now himself to look, what was going on.

"Raise your hands, I said!" Gavin threatened the boy whom Connor immediately identified as the child on the bike and the one who had shot him.

Against his expectations, the android was visibly desolated.

The weapon, which he had also used to bring Connor down, laid on the ground. The boy didn't make any attempt to escape. He didn't even move. Nevertheless, they remained careful.

"Let it go, Gavin," Connor said, but his partner still held his weapon in position. Now Connor entered the house and headed for the gun to push it further away from the boy. Even if the android would've moved quickly, he wouldn't get any chance to reach it.

Now Connor knelt next to the android. "Do you have a name?" he asked him, but the android slowly shook his head. Just now Connor saw the two bullet-holes. One grazed his shoulder, while the other had gone through his chassis right below his Thirium pump.

Well, at least Gavin had hit him, even if he didn't suspect it. Connor knew that he would shut down, sooner or later. Some important wires had been damaged, so the shutdown was inevitable. Connor was wondering how come that it didn't happen already.

Connor even wondered how he had made it this far. Now it was necessary to get as much information from him, as possible. Connor had used his interrogation skills just one time. During this conversation, he had successfully avoided that the android destroyed itself.  
"The weapon: Who gave it to you?" he started asking, but the android didn't answer, but his stress level was increasing.

"It was only a matter of time until we find you. So I'm asking you to tell me what happened. Who are you working for, and what is your purpose?"

Still no response from the android, but its LED indicated that something was processing in his head.

"If you do not answer me, I will have to probe your memory. Or I'll take you with me, and they will take you apart."

Gavin watched the whole thing. He had witnessed Carlos Ortiz's android interrogation back then. If Gavin was honest, he had admired Connor's interrogation skills from the beginning. But of course, he didn't admit it. Would he be successful again?

"Gavin, please put the gun down," he heard Connor say, and reluctantly complied with his request. His partner continuously watched the boy.

"You have to trust me, otherwise I can't protect you," Connor continued, and the android looked at him with a blank stare.

"You... you have no idea what you're dealing with," the boy suddenly spoke, and Connor listened intently. "I'm not the only one! We are many," he continued.

Gavin saw traces of Thirium making its way out the corner of the boy's mouth.

"Red Ice? Is this about Red Ice?" Connor asked, but the boy started to grin.

"It's not about Red Ice anymore." He coughed, and more Thirium emerged from his mouth.

"We mark the boundaries. We're controlling. We'll kill those who get in our way."

Connor exchanged a quick look with Gavin.

"You're already dead," the boy whispered and raised a hand, followed by Gavin bringing his gun in position.

Only now Connor noticed a glowing red circle appearing beneath the boy's clothing.

He quickly grabbed the boy's sweater and pulled it up. - The circle on its pump regulator, which appeared regularly in blue, was flashing red.

When Connor looked at the boy again, he replied with a smile.

"Boom..."

It took a moment for Connor to figure out what the boy meant and jumped up. "Get out," he shouted and ran towards Gavin.

At the exact same moment, Gavin registered what it meant, and they jumped out of the window together.

Connor could feel the blast of the heat. Even if his body was made of synthetic material, his sensors freaked out for a split second, and a red backdrop appeared in his HUD.

The sudden bang had disrupted his acoustics. An error message appeared in the upper left corner of his eyesight, indicating that he was experiencing too much heat.

They came to rest in front of the window. They rallied quickly to get as much distance as possible between themselves and the house that had just blown up.

"Fuck!" Gavin yelled and looked at the house in mere shock. It had burst in flames. Then he checked out his partner who had gotten himself together again.  
"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously, and Connor nodded quickly.

They let a few more moments pass before they got back on their feet.

Both of them were covered in dirt. Gavin's cheekbone had been cut from the debris, a small trickle of blood ran down his skin.

At least Connor seemed all right. "You've got to report this to Fowler," he said to Gavin, who nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"You call the fire brigade," Gavin said as he dialled the number and then continued to stare at the burning house while he waited.

***

"In a way, I don't even wanna know how you came up with this idea. Investigating those old tracks without considering the situation," Fowler said as Gavin and Connor showed up in his office at the end of the day.

Of course, he wanted to know, but with the two of them having found out very little of anything recently, he was a bit surprised.  
"Just tell me now, will ya?" Fowler finally asked them, and Connor started to explain.

He told them about his thoughts and that they had only checked the trace. He described in detail what had happened after that and thus gave Captain Fowler a complete overview.

Gavin stood beside him the whole time and listened to the report he delivered.

"As bad as it sounds, perhaps your injury had a positive side effect after all," Fowler finally said.  
"Well done," he continued, giving them a slight smile. "Keep up the good work," he added.  
"I assume the task force will be off the scene tomorrow morning. Then you can both get back to your research."

Connor and Gavin nodded to confirm, and they were dismissed.

Gavin went over to his desk, where he sat down for a moment.

Connor followed him and leaned against the table's edge.

"Well done, partner!" Gavin said with a smile on his face. His gaze slipped from his neck, down to his jacket, all the way to Connor's hands.

His new clothes were dirty, on his cheeks some stains of debris.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Gavin said in a subdued tone and they left.

***

As planned, they drove to Gavin's apartment, which was located a little away from the DPD. It was the first time Connor would enter his apartment, and somehow, he was curious to see what Gavin's preferences were, regarding his furnishing.

Because basically, he couldn't imagine anything about it. The apartment building looked a little bit rundown from the outside. But on the other hand, it looked like an ordinary Detroit apartment block.

Gavin lived on the third floor, so they walked up the stairs. In the stairwell Connor noticed some shoes on the floor in front of several apartments, he heard children playing somewhere.

When they arrived at Gavin's apartment door, Gavin stopped and turned the key in the lock.

"Just one thing," he said. "Feel honoured because no one else has ever been to my apartment. Usually, nobody is allowed to come in here. Got that?" he continued.

"Okay," Connor replied, and they entered the apartment.

It was one of America's typical apartments. From the apartment door, there was a small anteroom that served as a hallway. Here he found only a small wardrobe and a cupboard on which Gavin stored his keys in a ceramic bowl. Next to the drawer on the floor laid several pairs of shoes. Besides Gavin's typical leather shoes, Connor saw a pair of sneakers and some winter boots.

The hallway led into another, larger room. Connor initially classified it as a living room but it was divided by a large serving hatch. It gave a view of the kitchen, which was situated behind it. The kitchenette was sparsely furnished but sufficient for a single person to take care of himself. Just to the left of the partition wall was a glass door which led outside to the emergency ladder.

To the left of it, he found two other doors. One led to the bathroom, which Connor considered to be quite small. Next to it, on the left, he suspected Gavin's bedroom, but its door was currently closed.

Gavin's whole apartment attached importance to cosiness with the furnishing, the sofa was quite large and definitely too big for one person. Also, there was a medium-sized LCD TV, which stood on the opposite side of the couch. The Hifi shelf positioned underneath it provided the view of a stereo system.

Apart from that Connor saw shelves hanging everywhere, containing different books. Only now Connor noticed that Gavin had a surround sound system because of the small speakers standing on them.

The walls of his apartment appeared in smoky red, which was by no means aggressive and only reinforced its cosiness. One thing Gavin seemed not a fan of, was decoration. Connor only saw a relatively large metal figure in the shape of a stag, standing on one of the cupboards.

Here and there he had placed a few candles. Most of them already had burned down halfway.

When Connor looked at the stag figure, he heard the calm - now almost balanced - voice of Gavin behind him. "This was my grandfather's."

Connor looked over his shoulder for a moment and was still amazed to find things out about him he didn't know until now. Things he wouldn't have suspected.

"Was a good man... with a far too shitty past..." Gavin went on.

Again, Connor realized that Gavin was much more than what he had first thought about him.

Against all odds, Gavin was a caring and thoughtful human, even if he didn't appear like it. Connor noticed how his emotions for this man grew bigger within him. Every time he discovered something new about Gavin, his artificial heart jumped a little and left a pleasant feeling within his guts. Connor trusted him. Even more every day.

His partner took off his jacket and headed for the bathroom. "I'm just going to treat my wound, why don't you take off your jacket," he said, and Connor didn't know what to do first with all these impressions. "Make yourself comfortable."

Instead of taking off his jacket, Connor kept looking around, absorbing every bit, waiting patiently for Gavin to come back.

"I'm just gonna make some coffee, okay?" he said after coming back and suddenly stopped in front of Connor. Gently, he cupped Connor's face with one hand and looked at him with a smile. "It's a bit much for you, isn't it?" he asked. Gavin finally gave him a quick kiss on his lips before walking past him, over to the kitchen.

"If you want, you can take a shower. I mean we had talked about it a few weeks ago anyway, that it would be quite good for you, wouldn't it?" he told Connor from the kitchen, while he was busy getting a small container out of the cupboard and then running water into the coffee machine.  
"Towels are in the cupboard underneath the sink."

"Okay," Connor replied, finally putting off his jacket and walking towards the bathroom.

It was operating in his mind. He could figure out how to shower correctly, but he had never done it before, in general. But his database provided him with the right answers. So he undressed and stepped into the shower before he closed the curtain.

The cold water ran down on him and caused a shiver that set his sensors on fire. At the same time, the water had a fascinating effect on him. He let it run into his hands, bent forward so that the water drenched his hair, and he noticed how the temperature rose slightly. It was less tingling, like with the cold water. There was something pleasant about it.

Curiously he looked around and quickly found the shampoo with which he soaped his hair. Since this was happening for the first time for Connor, his mind connected everything with a positive feeling and saved it in his data memory. The consistency of the foam, the feel of water on his body, and how good it felt to rinse everything off afterwards.

He gave himself another few minutes in the shower, standing with his back to the showerhead while closing his eyes. Water dripped from his light curls, gliding over his upper lip, down to his tongue. Now he knew why many people simply didn't want to miss their morning shower. Before he left the cabin, he heard the door open, but also close again shortly afterwards.

Finally, he pulled the shower curtain open and noticed some folded boxer briefs on the laundry basket, besides a pair of knee-length sports pants, and a T-shirt. The clothes looked quite new.

Was that what Gavin had additionally taken with him in the clothes shop today?

"Gavin?" he asked in a loud voice so his partner could hear him.

"Before you ask - those clothes on the hamper are for you."

"Okay!" he replied and finally proceeded to dry off after grabbing a towel from the cabinet. The clothes fitted him well and felt comfortable.

Then he looked in the mirror. His hairstyle was all messed up, but then he discovered the brush lying on one of the bathroom fittings. He combed his hair as good as possible, but one or another curl kept popping out.

When Connor was satisfied, he put the brush down again and looked at himself a little closer in the mirror. The feeling of looking at himself seemed strange to him. If he was honest, he had never looked at himself this closely before. Afterwards, he left the bathroom.

Gavin had made himself comfortable on the sofa and was sipping his coffee.

The TV was running with the news. They just reported about the incident, Gavin and Connor had been involved in. The newscaster stated what had happened accurately, but both Connor and Gavin realized relatively quickly that they didn't know any further details.

Silently, they looked at the report, when Connor gazed at his partner. "Are these the extra clothes from the store you brought earlier?" he asked, and Gavin returned his gaze with a grin.

"You didn't think I was going to fob you off with just one set of clothes, did you?"

Connor was speechless.

"Don't worry, I only paid for the boxer briefs," Gavin added. "Besides, I think it's pretty shameless that you're not getting paid for your work anyway," he added, sipping on his coffee again.

"Thanks," Connor replied.

Shortly after Connor had made himself comfortable on the sofa, he noticed Gavin placing one arm on the backrest behind him.

After a while, Connor slid a little deeper into his seat, whereas Gavin's hand touched his shoulder. The distance between them already had been small, but now that Gavin touched him, Connor heard him murmur something.

"You can lean on me if you like."

Connor felt so oblivious to all this, but he gratefully followed Gavin's hint and finally gave in to the feeling. So he placed his head near Gavin's shoulder, feeling every breath his partner was taking. While Gavin probably concentrated on the TV, Connor discovered that Gavin's breath calmed his senses.

He just wanted to close his eyes and follow Gavin's chest, which raised and lowered through his breathing. At the same time, he picked up the scent coming from Gavin's shirt. It was a mixture of deodorant, sweat, and laundry detergent.

Then Gavin caught him, how Connor buried his nose in his shirt. He had to smirk, as he noticed how he absorbed his scent by taking a deep breath.

"You okay?" he muttered and placed his hand from the backrest onto Connor's shoulder.

"Yes," Connor replied but remained in position.

A few moments later, Connor noticed Gavin's kisses on his forehead. For Connor, it felt like something he hadn't known of, but he realised that it was something he always had missed. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked up, where he met Gavin's gaze.

In an instant, he reached out to kiss Gavin on the mouth, what his partner immediately returned. Connor kissed him again, almost hungry, whereupon Gavin also became a little more demanding.

Gavin bit in his lower lip, pulled gently on it until he released it a moment later, just to kiss Connor anew. Carefully he touched Connor's lips with his tongue, whereupon Connor slightly flinched back, but then replied it and palpated Gavin's with his own.

Meanwhile, Connor slipped his hand up to Gavin's shirt and grabbed onto the fabric while his partner's hand moved into his still moist hair. Only now Connor got aware of the fact, that his tongue contained far way more sensors than he had suspected. The growing feeling inside of him felt very strange, but also appealing.

When their tongues met, the sensation ran through his whole body, right into his guts. Deep inside, he craved for more, but due to his lack of knowledge, he was insecure and didn't give in to the feeling.

It pooled in his stomach and got almost unbearable for Connor. Together with all the other feelings, it overlapped, and his HUD struck. It got jammed with messages connected to Gavin. The kiss made Connor's abilities override, and the pace of Connor's Thirium pump increased.

Gavin finally pushed him back a little on the sofa, so Connor laid underneath him.

Connor couldn't get enough of this feeling, so new and overwhelming for him. He felt Gavin's hand fumbling against the side of his T-shirt until he had gained access to his skin. Through all this, their lips remained connected.

While Gavin's fingertips hovered over his side, the sheer feeling of comfort spread through Connor's whole body and made him sigh. Then Gavin's lips pulled back, just to plant further kisses on Connor's neck. Since Connor was highly sensitive on the parts Gavin touched with his lips, he soon stretched his neck in Gavin's direction. Beneath his lips, Gavin noticed how Connor's artificial skin retracted.

The more Gavin touched his sensors, the crazier it seemed to make him. When Connor finally tried to use his breathing ability, he looked at him again... cloudy, longing, and a bit like in a trance.

"Shall we switch to the bedroom?" Gavin asked him, and Connor's glanced changed.

The next moment he avoided Gavin's gaze.

"What's wrong?" Gavin asked him, and Connor only now realized there was something he had to tell Gavin before it might get embarrassing. Gavin placed another soft kiss on his neck, and Connor gasped.

"I need to tell you something," he muttered, and Gavin tilted his head. Connor looked at him. "With me, things may not turn out the way you expect..." Connor indirectly addressed his condition of missing certain biocomponents he had never possessed.

But before the situation threatened to become unpleasant, he saw Gavin smiling.

"I know," he replied, and Connor looked at him, being a little surprised. "I'm your maintenance-man. Remember that?"

Connor took a deep breath. "Yes, but..."

Gavin shook his head. "But nothing. To be honest with you, I didn't quite know. But that's fine with me."

Now Connor gazed at him with a look of admiration, because he hadn't expected that.  
"What if I..."

"We'll see about that." Gavin's voice sounded too sensible for Connor's taste because he still couldn't believe it. But then he just accepted it.

"Well... Shall we switch over?" Gavin asked him again, and Connor nodded slightly. So Gavin pulled him gently from the sofa they changed over.

Connor was so dazed by his feelings, that he just wasn't able to notice his surroundings.

For as soon as they had entered, Gavin pulled Connor towards him to continue kissing his neck.

Connor tried to absorb every rough detail with his eyes wide open, but then he was overwhelmed by his emotions. He grabbed for Gavin's hair and was pushed by him in the direction of the bed.

At its edge of it, he sat down and concentrated on his partner who now stood in front of him, his eyes yearningly hooked at him.

Connor faded out all messages in his HUD since they flooded him with the most different impressions and analysis values.

Almost impatiently, Gavin pulled his T-shirt off, and Connor eyed his partner's body, his muscles and how smooth they moved underneath Gavin's skin. Connor was stunned and aroused at the same time.

Restlessly Connor went through various possibilities in his head, even took a quick look at the internet, because he had absolutely no idea how to deal with the unknown situation.

But his system completely let him down.

Now it was up to his own to make the right decisions. So Connor decided to reach for Gavin's belt buckle to loosen it.

Still, he remained highly insecure. Slowly he unbuttoned Gavin's button fly. The black fabric of his boxer briefs revealed, and Connor's gaze went up, looking longingly, where he met Gavin's gaze.

Gavin's fingertips touched the loosened strands of Connor's hair before he bent over to kiss him. Gavin's lips felt so soft, his kiss was so gentle. Then he separated from Connor and pushed his jeans over his hips to strip them off.

By laying his hand on Connor's shoulder, Gavin pushed him backwards onto the bed. With a hand, he lifted the hem of Connor's shirt and started to kiss a path across his belly. Connor was flushed with the feeling of comfort and noticed, how Gavin's way went up to his chest. He freed Connor from his shirt piece by piece.

After he had arrived at Connor's clavicle, Connor got rid of his shirt. Therefore Gavin started over again. He caressed Connor's skin bit by bit with kisses and small licks of his tongue-tip, sending shivers down his spine one by one.

After Gavin had helped him out of his sports pants, he laid below him, dressed only in his light blue boxer briefs.

"I can hardly believe how human you are..." Gavin muttered while bending over and Connor replied with another kiss.

Connor's hand wandered over Gavin's upper body, sensing the warmth radiating below his fingertips, until he slid further down, towards Gavin's navel.

Gavin's lips parted from his, and he looked deep into Connor's eyes. "You don't have to do this," he murmured, after which Connor reached out, nudged the tip of Gavin's nose with his before he kissed him again. Meanwhile, his fingers slowly slipped into Gavin's shorts.

He discovered Gavin's skin, soft and warm at the same time and slid over his length. Gavin shivered, and Connor noticed his breath in his mouth before he pulled back. Connor replied his gaze, while his hand wrapped around Gavin's member and started stroking him. His pace unevenly and loose. It didn't take long until Gavin pushed his hip in the direction of Connor's hand.

The soft moaning eliciting from Gavin caused Connor's acoustic to create a pleasant tremble in his chassis.

Almost in unison, they both tried to find a rhythm as Connor stimulated him and Gavin literally devoured him with his gaze.

Even if Gavin didn't touch him at all: Feeling Gavin's breath on his lips as he continued to push himself rhythmically into his hand drove Connor wild. At the same time, he knew how desperately he wished he could intensify that bond between him and Gavin.

Gavin's teeth started shaking before Connor pulled him into another kiss. Gavin's movements became uncontrolled. They became almost a little impatient, and the moment he reached his climax, Gavin snuggled up close, urging his hips between Connor's legs, where he came to rest.

As he parted from his lips, Gavin noticed Connor's other hand in his hair and how he gently ran his fingers through his streaks. Gavin looked at him, nudging with the tip of his nose his, and saw how Connor gave him a gentle smile, what he returned.

"Don't leave tonight..." Gavin's request was almost a whisper, but Connor understood every syllable, every word... and so he nodded.

"Whatever you want, Detective..." he mumbled. Connor just snuggled up close, until Gavin fell asleep.

***

Of course, Connor didn't sleep. Only now and then he closed his eyes for a short time to adapt to the situation and enjoy it to the fullest. He laid in Gavin's arms, felt every breath of his partner who breathed in the crook of his neck. It slightly tickled him but was quite endearing. Gavin's body warmth comforted him and made him want to stay in that moment forever.

In the middle of the night, Connor noticed Gavin waking briefly, feeling his lips on his neck, and reaching for his hand to hook with it before he dozed off again.

Connor felt so enchanted in terms of what happened, that he couldn't think clearly. Everything had passed so fast, it was all too much.


	7. Breach of Contract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor is getting more aware of himself... and discovers something that makes him uncomfortable.
> 
> Fowler isn't quite amused if he finds out that Gavin had Connor taken with him overnight.
> 
> And then he becomes aware of the fact that Connor is a deviant...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: Suicide (mentioned), Dysphoria

It was quite dark when Gavin woke up again. Connor still laid in his arms, his back against Gavin's chest.

Conner's eyes glanced at the clock radio, which confirmed in a red colour that it was half-past five. Gavin emitted a soft moan behind him, and Connor turned his head a little, which allowed him to kiss Gavin on his forehead. Then he turned to him, and Gavin looked at him sleepily. 

They did not say a word, just looked at each other.

Suddenly Gavin started to grin, causing Connor to raise his brows questioningly. But Gavin signalled to him with a slight shake of his head that he did not want to say anything.

Just now Connor noticed some other scars on Gavin's face after he took a closer look. Besides the one on the bridge of his nose, he had one below his left eyebrow. It was almost inconspicuous, while another was visible on the side of the zygomatic arch where he had injured himself the day before. The longer Connor looked at Gavin, the more blemishes he noticed on him.

Besides his downright perfection, this was one thing that Connor somehow considered to be incredibly beautiful on Gavin. He carefully traced the scars with his fingertip and then looked at Gavin's eyes.

"What...?" his partner murmured, in his voice a slight hint of insecurity.

"Has anyone ever told you that there is something incredibly beautiful about you?" Connor asked, and Gavin puffed. 

"No... you're the first..." he replied with a smile.

***

It had been a while later when Gavin had been under the shower, and Connor slowly sat up in bed. His eyes were fixed on the mirror opposite him, hanging in front of one of Gavin's wardrobe doors. 

He looked at himself for a moment and then moved forward to the edge of the bed. With attentive eyes, he looked at himself, at his face, tracing the contours with two fingers.

Then Connor stood up and stepped closer to the mirror. Cyberlife had provided him with the latest equipment. Connor's fingers slid across his neck, his collarbone. His gaze drifted down, across his chest, to the fine lines on the sides of his pump regulator.

He looked like a human being. For a moment, he thought about last night.

More unconsciously, a hand slipped towards the waistband of his shorts. Connor hesitated, then his hand overcame the resistance of the elastic and slipped in. While looking further towards the shorts, his fingertips brushed across the synthetic material. Connor bit his lower lip and felt his thirium pump getting faster. It was almost as if a lump was forming in his throat and he tried to swallow it out. The feeling of fear emerged in him. But he didn't know why.

The next moment his hand slipped out of his pants, and he shoved it - almost violently - down his hip. It slid downwards along his legs. He tilted his head and noticed that the operating temperature in his central unit rose noticeably while his gaze hovered from his pump regulator into the lower regions once again.

His hand touched his abdomen, moving forward. But his fingers twitched back before he reached the area where a human usually had one of his genital characteristics. Connor had no idea if there were any sensors in that region.

It was no use. Tentatively, while feeling his thirium pump almost burst, Connor slipped his fingers between his thighs and touched the cold synthetic material.

Nothing...

For a moment Connor lowered his head and looked lost in the void. When he raised his gaze again, he stared at his face. His brown eyes, his sharp nose... Not even the freckles on his cheek had been left out when they designed him. He could even simulate a beard, or change his hair colour or length if he wanted to. He was able to do all this if it served the situation of getting along with people.

But they had categorically excluded the ability to become intimate with a human.

For the first time since his activation, Connor noticed the feeling of dysphoria rising within himself. He felt embarrassed by his reflection in the mirror, and he lowered his eyes, only to pull his shorts back up again.

"Hey, are you okay?" he heard Gavin's voice behind him and was glad that he had managed to get his shorts back in place timewise.

"Yeah... everything is okay," he replied and looked over his shoulder at Gavin, who slowly walked towards him. Inside himself, however, everything was still in turmoil.

Gavin wrapped his arms around Connor's hip and placed his chin on his shoulder after kissing him in the crook of his neck.

Connor looked at him for a moment before leaning his forehead against Gavin's temple and closing his eyes.

"Are you sure you're alright," Gavin asked quietly, and Connor replied with an assuring sound.

***

At half-past seven they finally managed to get on their way. Gavin grabbed a bagel from the kitchen before they left and which he devoured on their way down. They made their way to the crime scene from the day before. Everything had been sealed with flapping tape. From the outside, the ruin made such a bad impression that Connor doubted to find any useful traces.

After they gained access, they entered the remains of the house. Connor noticed the yellow signs which had been left by the task force. By running a few scans, he found slight traces of the now-deceased android. He knelt but found nothing else.

Gavin approached one of the yellow signs. "Seems like they found the weapon. I'm curious to find out more about it."

"Me too," Connor replied. "However, I can't find anything else. My scans are without any results." 

Gavin nodded. "Good. Then let's go to the precinct and take a look at the evidence."

***

Back at the DPD, they remained in the car for a moment. Gavin leaned over to Connor and kissed him, which Connor replied.

"I'm going to have a hard time keeping my hands off you," Gavin admitted softly, and Connor grinned. 

"I can picture it."

"Gavin! Connor! In my office. Now!" they heard Fowler's voice echoing across the room as they entered the precinct. 

"Oh, shit..." Connor heard his partner mumble.

Together they went to Fowler's office and closed the door behind them. 

Fowler was visibly agitated, so he immediately addressed Gavin. "What exactly have you been thinking?" he asked him, but Gavin didn't understand at first. 

"Where the hell has he been all night," he asked, and Connor noticed Gavin going into a submissive state.

"He had been with me. Nothing happened!"

"You can't pick him up after his shift without dropping him off at the department later again! - At least not without prior consultation," he accused him, and Gavin raised his eyebrows.

"He can go wherever he wants," he replied. 

Connor recognized an unbelievable severity in Fowler's expression that he had never seen on him before. 

"He just can't! He belongs to the DPD. He's an android!"

"Jeffrey, I..." Gavin tried to smooth things down but got cut off.

"Do you have any idea what the precinct paid for the repair he needed?"

Gavin wanted to intervene, but he resisted. After all, Fowler still had no idea that Connor, who had broken through his command wall a few weeks ago. 

"He costs half a million dollars, Gavin!"

Of course, it always had been a question Gavin had asked himself at some point. But he never had asked Connor himself. Because it just hadn't been important enough to him. Now that he knew, he swallowed and dropped his gaze. After a moment he looked at Connor, who didn't know what to say in this situation at all.

"Can't we talk about this in peace, Jeffrey," Gavin asked him, and he looked back at him. 

"What do you want to talk about, Gavin?" he asked, and Gavin bit his lower lip. "I thought you couldn't even stand androids. What's wrong with you lately?"

Gavin hesitated to say something, and he and Connor exchanged glances. "I'll join you later. It would be better if you go now," he said and Connor, who was slightly confused, left the room.

***

Connor had just shut the door from the outside when Gavin sat down on one of the chairs in front of Jeffrey's table. 

"Damn it, Gavin. I know you're having a hard time. But you can't break any more rules! Be lucky that I gave you that damn certificate so you can change his clothes. I'm not saying anything of you taking him out once in a while. But that's all I can do. I thought we had an agreement."

At first, Gavin didn't reply. Mostly because he wanted to think about what exactly to say.

But before he could start something, Fowler spoke up first while leaning a little in his direction: "He'll never replace him. You have to understand that Gavin."

What sounded trivial for others, left an immediate sorrow on Gavin and his eyes filled with tears. He thought of Fowler's statement and shook his head: "I think it's too late for that, Jeffrey.“

"What do you mean?"

Gavin thought about what to say, but there was no other option. "He broke through his command wall. He's a deviant," he confessed, and Fowler lifted his eyebrows. 

"What? Since when?"

"Hank."

Fowler took a deep breath and shook his head.

"But he still seems to enjoy his work and is so eager to help the precinct. Don't you see that?"

Fowler didn't quite know what to respond to Gavin. 

"He reminds me of Henry on so many damn occasions. You have no idea," Gavin continued, his voice slightly broken.

"Gavin, I understand, but... You have to understand that Connor's an android. Even if he's a deviant."

"His empathy-level is at 70 percent," Gavin said.

Jeffrey was astonished, but before he could say anything else, Gavin went on. 

"I don't like him because he reminds me of Henry... Maybe it's been the case at first, but not anymore."

"I don't have to remind you that your contract stipulates, that you can't start relationships with your colleagues, do I?"

But Gavin just snorted and grinned. His tone was almost a little bitterly. "Didn't you just say he's an android?"

"Gavin," Jeffrey replied and shook his head. "What do you want me to say? Hm? Tell me."

Gavin looked at him. "Just let him decide for himself. If he wants to be with someone like me, then just let him."

"Are you serious?"

Gavin gave him a nod. "If that's the way he feels, it's proof enough that he's got the power to make his own decisions."

Fowler shook his head again. 

"You're eager to drag me into situations where I seriously wonder if it would have helped to spank you now and then to get rid of some of your nonsense."

Now Gavin stood up. "Just be happy that I'm happy. Is that too much to ask?" he replied.

But Fowler just sighed.

"Get out. And please, for the love of God, take care of him. It makes me sick just to think about all that fucking paperwork what's waiting for me if anything happens to him."

Gavin finally left Fowler's office and went straight to Connor.

***

Connor suspected trouble when Gavin sent him away. Perhaps he had been too reckless in his decisions. After he went to his office, he sat down on his cot.

He would remain an android forever.  
No matter how much Gavin wanted him to believe he looked human.   
No matter how much he believed he could adapt anyhow.

What had he gotten himself into?

For a moment, it felt as if his processor was about to overload, so he dropped his head back to lean it against the wall. He took a deep breath. Even his Thirium pump got faster, and a second later his HUD was flooded by error messages. - Connor was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Even his LED glowed in a bright red.

When Gavin opened the door, he found his partner sitting on the cot, hunched over. Quickly he went over to kneel in front of him. "Hey... Connor, what's going on?" Gavin's voice was soft, and while he glanced at him, Connor slowly lifted his eyes.

Connor's eyes filled with tears, another sign of a system-overload. Gavin knew that something like this could happen and it wasn't a good sign.

It looked like he was crying.

To calm him down, Gavin embraced him tightly. 

"Gavin, I..."

"Take it easy," he tried to calm Connor down.

"I screwed everything up!"

"Shush... You didn't! Everything is okay!"

"No," he replied, but Gavin insisted. 

"Come on. Hey... hey..." he said and reattempted to look at him as Connor tried to avoid his glance by cupping Connor's cheek. "Everything is fine, okay?"

"But Fowler..."

"Let Fowler mind his own business! If he can't deal with us being together, then so be it. We don't need his conscience. You got that?" he tried to reassure Connor. He had done nothing wrong, and so he had nothing to worry about. If someone had to be worried, it was Gavin himself, but not Connor.

"I'll never be human... What do you even want from me?" Connor commented, but Gavin just replied by kissing him.

"We will be fine, okay? I want you to trust me. I want you to believe that we'll work it out. No matter what it is, okay?" he said, looking Connor straight in the eye. "Do you trust me on that?" he asked him, and it seemed as if Connor could calm down. His LED turned into a warm yellow.

"Yes?“ Gavin asked again.

Connor nodded, and Gavin was relieved.

"Good… my little crybaby..." he spoke in a soft voice and smiled gently before planting another kiss on his mouth.

"Come… we're leaving," Gavin said, and Connor joined him, now apparently a little relieved.

Without looking back, they went to his car and got in.

Gavin's destination was the Ambassador Bridge where he parked his car, and they got out. Without talking, they walked a little until Gavin chose to stop by a bench. The weather had turned within the last days. Not just the temperatures had dropped almost rapidly within the last few hours. A look to heaven and one could think it was about to start snowing.

"What are we going to do now?" Connor asked Gavin a few minutes later, but his partner just looked at the Detroit River without answering.

Shortly afterwards, Gavin pulled a cigarette from the inner pocket of his jacket and lit it. Right now he was glad they had overturned the prohibition about smoking in public in 2025. Because that was something, he did not want to worry about now. Then he noticed that Connor looked at him waiting.

"I don't know, to be honest," he finally replied and dragged his cigarette. "I don't think I need to start with creating harebrained ideas where I buy you from the DPD. That won't work." His voice was so honest that it hurt Connor deep inside.

"What exactly did he tell you when I was absent?" his partner asked him, but Gavin couldn't tell him the whole truth in terms of Henry and some other things.

"I told him you're a deviant."

"You did what?"

"Relax, he had less of a problem with that," Gavin replied, but Connor's glance turned worried. 

"He was more concerned that we're closer than my employment contract allows." 

Connor didn't quite understand. After all, he had no such thing as an employment contract. He had been taken over by the DPD after Hank's death.

They could always send him back to Cyberlife in no time. He was a commodity that Fowler could deal with, like with a broken vacuum cleaner, if he wanted to.

"I'm not allowed to date a colleague," Gavin told him, biting his lip.

This was very controversial, so Connor now narrowed his eyes. "I'm not even your colleague. If I understood everything correctly, I'm just an android anyway, which you can always exchange with something else if it doesn't function anymore," he replied. Gavin lifted the corner of his mouth. 

"That's exactly what I told him."

"What was your final agreement?" Connor asked, and Gavin flicked some ashes away before sucking on his cigarette again. 

"I told him that you should decide for yourself who you want to be with."

"What did he respond?"

Gavin smiled. "He practically asked me if I lost my marbles. But in the end, he accepted it and told me to look after you. Because nothing is pissing him off more than paperwork, that he doesn't need anyway."

"That's all?" Connor seemed surprised.

"Yep... If I stick with what he said, I have a jester’s license. I just have to make sure you don't get hurt, that's all. Because then I'm screwed."

Connor didn't reply to that. 

"Half a million dollars... Shit, why didn't you ever tell me?" Gavin suddenly asked him, and Connor glanced back at him. 

"I had no idea myself."

"What does your programming tell you when someone asks you how much you're valued?" 

Connor shrugged. "A small fortune... usually combined with a threat. Because often, that subject only comes up when someone wants to harm me."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah... Sort of: 'You probably shouldn't do that if you don't want to screw up your future. Because I'm worth a small fortune.'"

Gavin laughed softly. "Did you ever have to tell that to anyone?" Gavin asked with interest and Connor put on a slight grin. 

"Yes!"

"Who?"

"Hank!"

Now Gavin couldn't help but grin and gave Connor a light slap on the shoulder.

***

They spent the whole day on the road to distract themselves. After they drove back to the precinct after their shift, it was almost empty. Only two colleagues were still busy with writing reports.

Just the moment Gavin sat down at his desk, his phone rang. He picked it up. "Yeah?"

"Will you two come into my office again, please?" he heard Fowler's voice and was wondering almost immediately if he should reply brazenly.

"Okay," he said, hanging up and looking at Connor. "Come, Fowler wants to talk to us."

Connor was uncomfortable, but he had no choice but to follow Gavin.

So they entered their boss's office and with a gesture, Fowler offered them to sit down.

Gavin's attitude alone signalled that he wouldn't give in, even if his boss was turning upside down.

Gavin's crossed arms signalled him very clearly that he wouldn't budge. But instead of addressing him, Fowler turned his head to Connor and calmly talked to him, without any kind of threatening or handling him like an android. "I can imagine that things weren't that easy for you since Lieutenant Anderson has passed."

"No, Sir... they weren't."

"Your new partner told me earlier today that you've broken through your command wall back then."

Connor nodded because he had no choice. If he wasn't honest with Fowler, he couldn't ask for any concessions.

"How can I trust you? What if you develop like the other deviants and become a threat?" His question was worded carefully because, for him, the whole procedure was new too. 

Unfortunately, Connor didn't feel safe enough, so he first fell silent and didn't know what exactly to answer.

"Jeffrey..." Gavin started in a calm tone, and his boss looked at him. "I think there's something we need to tell you." 

Fowler took a deep breath. "Another surprise? You're pushing it today, Gavin," he replied.

Gavin and Connor exchanged glances. "Tell him about Hank," Gavin asked him, and Connor sensed a sudden excitement rising within him.

Before he started, Connor thought about what to say. He wanted to be informative and honest, but not too sappy because that probably would have made things worse. "It was me who found Hank," he finally confessed, and Fowler frowned. But now that Connor had started, he told the whole story.

That he had found him.  
That he had suffered a shock and had broken through his command wall because he had panicked.   
That he thought it was right to call Gavin because he had gained access through the kitchen window.  
That he thought it was wrong to just run away or to call the precinct.   
That he didn't want to leave Hank alone.   
That he was afraid, he would be sent back to Cyberlife to be disassembled.   
That he had been glad when Gavin chose him as a partner afterwards and how everything had turned out since then.   
That his time at DPD had helped him cope with Hank's death and he couldn't imagine anything better.

"If I could somehow prove you that it's not my intention to mess everything up, I would do it on the spot. But everything is still so new to me. There are so many things happening that I'm still not used to and sometimes I don't know how to handle them properly. So I'm afraid, I can't give you a guarantee," Connor continued.

Fowler listened patiently to everything and then turned to Gavin. "Do you have anything to add about that?" he asked, and Gavin raised his eyebrows.

"I've already told you he's the most human android I've ever met. Through my career, I have encountered many criminals at crime scenes or tracked them down later. You know that. But if there's one thing I've never experienced with anyone else as with him, it's this: The fear of being blamed for something he can't do anything about."

Gavin paused for a moment before he went on. "We have fought for centuries to make everyone feel safe today, regardless of their disposition, skin colour, or sexuality. What justifies denying androids their own opinion, or prohibiting them from making decisions about their own lives, if they think like him?" 

Gavin said all this in a calm tone because he didn't want to start a fight. But if anyone was able to convince Fowler of anything different than the deadlocked rules, it was him.

"And that coming from your mouth..." Fowler finally said with a grin. "Well... Let's take a realistic look at the situation. I don't criticize your work at all," he said to Connor. "You've done a good job since we first got you here. Accordingly, I see no reason to send you back to Cyberlife, even if you are a deviant. On the other hand, I cannot hire you as an equal detective. You know I can't do that because of the law."

Connor nodded understandingly. There was nothing that could be done against the law. 

"As for your relationship, I'm not sure what to think. But as people say: To each his own! And that it is none of my business either. But you know the rules, Gavin. Normally I should fire you for breach of contract," he said to Gavin. "But since he's an android and keeps doing his job as he should, I can make an exception. Just make sure you're not triggering a scandal in the precinct. You already have more problems with some of your colleagues than you should have anyway. Don't let it mess you up."

Restraint was a matter of course for both. On the contrary - if this was the only rule they had to follow, they could deal with it.

Then Connor and Gavin stood up, but Fowler had one last question. "Connor?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Are you afraid to die?" Connor had to think for a second before he answered the question.

"Yes, sir."

"Of death itself?"

"No... more like having to leave people behind who are struggling with the fact that I'm no longer taking part in their lives. Without being able to do anything about it myself." 

Fowler had to swallow hard with that answer, while Gavin grinned slightly. 

"Go," Fowler said with a small nod, and so Connor left the office first, with Gavin about to follow. 

Before Gavin walked through the door, he turned to Jeffrey. "Thank you," he murmured, and Fowler looked at him. 

"You know you'll have to tell him the truth sometime if you really care about him," he gave Gavin the hint, and the latter nodded. 

"I know," he replied and finally left the room.

"I have to go to my office for a minute," Connor said, and Gavin nodded. 

"Come over to my desk when you're ready. I'll pack everything up as well."

"Okay," Connor said and went to his office. He went straight over to the cabinet and picked up a PET bottle to fill it with Thirium from his dispenser.

It took him a moment to cap the bottle. Connor looked around the room. His view from one of the windows always had been beautiful but also very lonely. His glance turned over to his chair and his jacket, which he had hung over its backrest.

So much had changed since yesterday. Gavin had said they were about to go home. He was Gavin's partner.

Did he really have a home now?

He wore different clothes, which he liked and he actually felt more human than before. But since last night he had also realized that he needed to talk to Gavin. It just wasn't the right time.


	8. Night of the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor gets an insight into Gavin's soul.
> 
> Evidence is being analyzed.
> 
> And Gavin discovers Connor's vulnerability while even getting closer to him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this chapter: Drug Use (mentioned), Drug Past, Guns, more mentions of Gender Dysphoria - Also: Gay Sex ;)
> 
> \---
> 
> The shown illustration within this chapter was made by Mo0nX on Twitter - A commission I love deeply because it captures the moment perfectly! (https://twitter.com/Mo0nXArt) - Thanks again for this beautiful picture!

It had gotten late, so Gavin had suggested spending the time in his apartment in his bedroom. Since Gavin had turned on the heating, they laid on the bed, dressed only in shorts. While Gavin laid on his back on his bedside, Connor had made himself so comfortable that he rested his head on Gavin's belly.

He finally took Gavin's hand, which rested on his chest, into his to place their palms on top of each other.

When Connor retracted his skin and exposed his ivory-coloured chassis, Gavin smiled softly. "Why are you doing this? I mean...?" he asked, looking at it. He just now realized that Connor's fingers were a little longer than his.

"Well, I can - as you had already figured out - interface with another android this way. Usually, I do it with my arm, if necessary. But when I place the palm of my hand on yours, it's... more intimate... Besides, there's a sensor in the middle of my hand that's very sensitive."

"Good to know," Gavin murmured and grinned.

"Basically, I'm showing you a certain confidence and vulnerability when I switch off my simulation," he continued.

"I see...," Gavin replied, and finally both hands interlocked again.

"Also many androids use it for the android's pendant of having sexual intercourse," Connor closed his explanation, and Gavin smirked.

It wasn't easy for Connor to bring up the subject. After all, Gavin had already smacked him once for that. But since then, some things had changed.  
"When… when did you realise that you..." he asked and looked at Gavin.

"Hm?" his partner replied.

"Well, that you're gay."

"Oh, well..." Gavin seemed to think. "Relatively late, because I wasn't raised very openly. I think the first time I knew I had feelings for a guy, I was... 24? Something like that."

"Pretty late."

"Yeah, and especially fucked up when you're with a girl and everything's going really well."

Connor raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"She was a very pretty girl, with long brown hair and blue deer eyes. We had known each other for ten years by then. I don't think I've ever lost my heart to any other girl as badly as I lost it to her."

The way Gavin talked about her, he had seemed to care about her. "It all fit. After college, we planned to get out of Detroit, get a place to live together and everything. But then I drifted off on the wrong path."

"How did that happen?"

Gavin stopped for a second. "Money. As stupid as I've been back then, I thought it was fine to get into the drug business. You already know the story... One thing led to another. I had a part-time job back then that I hated. In the evenings I was out selling the stuff. She had no idea and assumed that I had a typical side job. Sometimes I didn't come home at night, and the other morning I was too tired to do my part-time job. After I got fired, I dived even deeper into selling drugs. She still didn't know a thing about it. Unlike me, she had a job that fulfilled her." Gavin obviously had trouble telling the story, so Connor just listened instead of interrupting him.

"Then, one day, there was this new guy. Like me, he was just selling the stuff, but he seemed to keep bumping into me on purpose. As time went by, we started talking, smoking together, and I had the impression that we got along pretty well. It just kept getting better and better. Later on, we deliberately started to do things together, and it came to the point where I realized that there was more behind it than just a loose acquaintance."

"Didn't you think about your girlfriend at that point?" Connor asked, and Gavin shook his head.

"No. Because she was there. This whole process developed to the point where I only cared about him. We used to meet secretly in the evenings, pretending to do business as usual. But we spent the whole night with each other, fucking out our brains. The worst of it: There are some nights I don't even remember because I started to take the stuff myself."

"How did you get out of that?"

Gavin took a long pause and finally lit a cigarette. "I didn't..." He looked at Connor.

"The dealer became an addict. Our main dealer kicked the shit out of us both after he discovered that we consumed the stuff ourselves. Since no more money was coming in, my girl became aware of it. I treated her so incredibly shitty at the time. Things went on with him instead until he stopped showing up." He shook his head briefly.

"I never found out why. But I suppose that he either died of an overdose or something else happened. I tried to get my shit together. And my girlfriend even condoned me back then. But as stupid as I was, I went back on the street at some point. I was so broken back then. Until she finally had enough. When I came home one morning, her closet was empty. And from this point, the spiral only led down."

Gavin dragged his cigarette. "When Jeffrey picked me up, I started not just to get my life back together. I also thought about whether everything I experienced was based on a lie. It took me a long time before I dared to go to a club again to meet someone. But strangely enough, women never interested me again. And the guys I met... well..." he concluded his story and looked at Connor.

"In the end, none of that matters. Because without that time, I wouldn't be here today and you probably wouldn't be either."

Connor felt a slight pressure in his hand, which he still had clasped to Gavin's.

***

During the night, Connor had many thoughts going through his mind. For a while, he retreated to his mind-palace but remained alone. He analyzed step by step what had happened today and went through a self-check.

It wasn't just what Gavin told him. It was more the lookalike breakdown, which got him and the conversations he and Gavin had with Fowler. Usually, something like a breakdown shouldn't happen to him.

While thinking about it and running his self-tests, he found out that he reached a limit concerning his software. He didn't know exactly how to break through these limitations. Although his adaptation program had worked very well so far, he experienced more and more situations, where he missed any feedback from his software.

Besides, he thought about considering an upgrade of his bio-components.

It wasn't because of Gavin and their relationship. He was sure that Gavin would like it, he didn't doubt that. But how far would he come just with his sensors?

Within their first night, he had experienced the desire to be close to Gavin, as close as possible. But with missing certain bio-components it wouldn't get him anywhere. The morning after also had shown him that something was missing. Something that made him feel incomplete. The look in the mirror, the dysphoria that came with it. Everything that had happened there made him feel uncomfortable.

Cyberlife had never equipped him with primary sexual characteristics. - For what purpose? Connor's role was being a support for the DPD. Why would Cyberlife have equipped him with such a thing? But on the other hand, there was his sensory system which was so sensitive that he seemed to feel sexual desire. It just didn't match after all.

At least that's what he believed. Of course, he had experienced some sensation during the inspection. Also during the caresses, he had received from Gavin. Just by kissing Gavin, all the receptors in his lips had sent sentiments to his intestines and other. But he doubted whether all this would be enough to have real sex, nor a real climax. Moreover, he hadn't any sensors in the corresponding areas. He couldn't imagine reaching true satisfaction with his equipment.

Another question arose with financing everything. Connor was unable to make any demands on Fowler or Gavin in this regard, and he was quite aware of that. But he would discuss the matter with Gavin as soon as possible.

Perhaps there was an option that he hadn't even thought of.

***

They sat on the couch while Gavin had some breakfast and a cup of coffee, while Connor had a glass of Thirium.

"You're remarkably quiet this morning," Gavin noted before he shoved another fork of scrambled eggs in his mouth.

"Sometimes I wish I could eat that. The smell and the look are stunning," Connor replied, but Gavin realized his breakfast wasn't all Connor was concerned with.

"And now you're going to tell me what's going on in your pretty little head," he asked Connor, and the android dropped his head back on the sofa. Gavin looked at him, his glance questioning.

"Could you please make an appointment with Natalie for me?"

"For what?" But Connor didn't answer him. "I need to know for what, because she surely gonna ask me for what you need the appointment," he tried to encourage Connor to reveal more about what was going on in his head.

"I realize that I'm reaching some limits, and I wanted to ask her if there's any way to get an upgrade."

"'Stick out of your ass, two-point-zero', or what?" Gavin replied, and Connor nodded.

"If you wanna call it that, fine."

"Okay." But Gavin noticed that this wasn't probably everything Connor wanted to discuss with Natalie. "What else?" he asked, and Connor looked at him.

"Nothing more..." he tried to lie, but his LED exposed him by changing from blue to red for a split second.

Gavin raised his brows and took another bite of his scrambled eggs. If Connor didn't want to talk to him about it, he'd let him.

***

Their morning at the precinct started with Connor and Gavin in the evidence room looking at the pieces of evidence that the task force had picked up two days earlier.

"Can you get anything out of it," Gavin asked Connor, who held the bag that contained the gun.

"There are no fingerprints on it," he reported after he made a scan. Attentively, he looked at the metal of the barrel.

"Interesting," he murmured and turned the weapon so that he could examine it better from each angle.

"Hm?" Gavin asked. "What is interesting?"

"This is a Desert Eagle, model Bain & Davis. It's a special edition, limited to 1,000 pieces. Very nice condition."

"Smart-ass! Serial number?"

"Been rasped out."

"Shit..."

Now Connor looked a little closer. "Too bad it's not a year younger."

"Why?"

"The main model is manufactured in the United States up to and including 1989. After that, it has been produced only in Israel. The material used in that country is more sensitive to fingerprints. If you don't oil your gun regularly, the surface will develop brownish stains within a short time. In the American models, they polish the surface so well that you can avoid such a thing."

"Son of a..."

"But we have one more attribute that we might be able to use."

"Like what?"

"This model has been sold as a 357 and a 44 Magnum. So the ammo clip contains either eight or nine bullets. Even if the serial number had been rasped out, it's easy to identify who might be missing such a gun."

"Well, what else do we have?" Gavin asked, visibly satisfied, and Connor put the gun aside.

"The task force found the part of the android that caused the explosion. Or rather - What's left of it." He picked up another bag and took a closer look at the leftovers of the pump regulator.

"Usually there is Thirium in its interior, which is transferred from there, directly into the Thirium pump."

Connor scanned the individual parts and discovered traces of a highly explosive substance.  
"Thermite! The pump regulator was equipped with thermite."

Gavin was well aware of this material but wondered how it worked with Thirium. "Isn't there a chemical reaction when thermite and Thirium collide?"

Connor continued to analyze and ran a re-scan on another piece of the pump regulator. "Not in this case. The regulator has been manipulated. Whoever did this seemed to have a pretty good knowledge of bio-components. I'm detecting very small fragments of glass in this piece. He may have replaced the pump regulator and added a thermite compartment to it."

"Kamski would probably be proud of that motherfucker," Gavin muttered, whereupon Connor bit his lips and narrowed his eyes.

"Sooner or later, it would probably make sense to involve Cyberlife itself in this. Who has worked in the relevant department in recent years? Who was dismissed? Who might not have behaved as the company wanted them to?"

All these questions Connor told him gave Gavin some good pointers to follow up on.

***

Requesting all the necessary information would take a while, so Gavin turned his attention to Connor's call to make an appointment with Natalie. With a business card in his hand, he dialled the number. Connor had been in his own office, so Gavin considered this an appropriate opportunity to speak with Natalie alone.

The phone rang three times until Natalie picked up at the other end. "Cyberlife Center, Natalie Thompson speaking. How can I help you?"

"Hello, Natalie, this is Detective Gavin Reed, Detroit Police Department."

She recognized him immediately. "Oh, it's you. Well, what is it? Is everything okay with Connor?" she asked.

"Yes, everything's fine with him. But I'm calling because he asked me to make an appointment with you."

She waited a moment before she answered. "Did he say what this is about?"

"He wants to talk about a software update with you."

"Okay, um... did he tell you any more details?"

"He said that, depending on the situation, he reaches his limits. I think it's better if you talk to him about it yourself when he shows up at the appointment."

"Anything else?" she asked.

Now Gavin didn't know what to say, because he had practically no idea what Connor was up to. "I have a feeling there's something else he needs your help with, but he won't tell me what it is."

"Okay. I'll make a note of it."

Finally, they made an appointment.

***

Connor was just about to tidy up his office when Gavin knocked and opened the door.

"Come in," Connor said and turned around.

"I just spoke with Natalie. She says you could come by tomorrow afternoon at 4:00."

Connor frowned.

"Okay, then thank you!"

Gavin nodded. "You're welcome. What are you doing?" he asked and saw his partner hang his Cyberlife jacket on a hanger and walking over to a small locker.

"I guess the days when I had to wear it regularly are over now. But who knows. I'll just tidy up a bit," he continued and then closed the locker.

Gavin stood there, just looking at his partner. "Why do I get the feeling that tomorrow's appointment is about something completely different and you're not telling me about it?" it suddenly burst out of him. Since Connor was not wearing his cap at the time, Gavin noticed his LED turning yellow.

Connor seemed to think about whether he should come up with the answer. "Can we talk about this at home? I'd hate to have to settle this right here in the office."

Gavin nodded in understanding.

Connor knew that his partner was literally dying to know what was on his mind and Connor didn't like the fact that he hadn't already talked to Gavin about it.

With his uncertainty, however, it was perhaps understandable to Gavin. "Will you need much longer? I have already requested the necessary documents for the evidence. They'll take until tomorrow, or maybe longer, so we won't be able to continue until the end of the week. Theoretically, we could leave for today."

His voice was calm, not excited at all, but Connor realized, that he might have been hurt Gavin in some way by withholding said information.

"Give me five minutes," he said, and Gavin nodded.

"Okay," he replied, hesitating for a moment before walking up to Connor and giving him a quick kiss. "See you soon," he said after he had separated from him.

"See you soon, Detective," he said softly, and Gavin smiled.

***

Once they arrived in Gavin's apartment, Gavin tossed his key into the bowl next to the door and got rid of his leather jacket. He went over to the kitchen to start the coffee machine.

"That much caffeine is not healthy for you, Gavin. Has anyone ever told you that?" Connor asked.

"Better than all that other crap that probably has already cost me ten years of my life anyway," he returned. Connor had to admit that his partner was probably right about that.

Both had made themselves comfortable on the couch, and Gavin sipped his coffee, which was way too hot, as he looked at Connor waiting. He finally wanted to know what was going on.

Meanwhile, Connor didn't know how to start. "Basically it's all about us and also not," he began, and Gavin listened to him attentively. "I'm seriously considering... an _upgrade_..."

He emphasized the word "upgrade" in a certain manner so that Gavin could perhaps already guess what he meant.

"An upgrade," Gavin said, thinking. "An..." Then he raised his brows. "Oh..." he said and took another sip of his coffee, which was still so hot that it burned his lips.

"Shit...", he was annoyed and put the cup down. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked Connor, and he nodded.

"I don't know if something like this is even possible with my model, but I just wanted to talk to Natalie about it."

"I understand," Gavin remarked. "But what happens if you feel like it was a bad decision afterwards?" he wanted to know.

"Maybe I have to make bad decisions now and then. Isn't that just part of being human?"

Gavin looked at his partner, and again he realized how happy he was with Connor. How lucky he was to have him as a part of his life... as a significant other if you will. "You're just wonderful, you know that?" he said, and Connor grinned at him.

"What did I say now that was so extraordinary?" he asked, but Gavin just leaned forward to kiss him.

"However, there's a problem that I don't have a solution for yet," Connor confessed now.

Gavin could already guess where this was heading. "You have no idea how you're going to pay for it, do you?"

Connor nodded and looked at Gavin. "But I have no idea what something like this costs, either. That's why I just wanted to talk to Natalie about it for now."

"Okay. We'll just wait until tomorrow."

If Gavin thought about it, all of this looked very familiar to him. He had only read about it before, but Connor's plan sounded like something a person considered when they realized they’d been born in the wrong body. One who would use surgery to adjust his body to the gender they identified with. Although his knowledge of transsexuality was very limited, he took Connor's matter just as seriously.

In the end, Gavin appreciated Connor the way he was. But he also would accept it if he wanted to make a change. Connor wasn't human, but that wasn't important to him. His need was just as relevant as with anyone else. Again he had the question in mind he told Fowler the day before: Who said that androids couldn't feel the same way as a human who was born in the wrong body? Who had the right to deny an android feeling the emotion of dysphoria if they would be in Connor's situation?

***

It had become almost a habit for Connor to lie in bed with his back to Gavin who embraced him. He enjoyed it when Gavin woke up within the night and maybe kissed him on the back of his neck. But Gavin's regular breathing also made Connor feel very comfortable, noticing that his system was running a little smoother, more evenly. He was able to feel even something like relaxation when he got up the next morning. Connor could hardly imagine that it had ever been any different.

As Gavin woke up that night, it was raining heavily outside. Even if there wasn't a window in the room, Connor was aware of it due to his excellent acoustics. The only light that illuminated the room a little bit came from the kitchen because they had left the door open. It dipped the room into a slight bluish tone which was so bright that Connor didn't even need his night vision to see something.

Sometimes it happened that Gavin woke up and went over to the bathroom. So as this night.

Meanwhile, Connor stayed in bed and waited for his partner to come back. But when Gavin got back into bed this time, something felt off.

Connor turned around, and since it was slightly dark, he used his night vision. Gavin laid beside him, wide awake and glanced at him. Connor could feel Gavin's grey eyes on him, how he observed him. Connor reached out for him and cupped his cheek, while his thumb stroked softly over his stubble before he leaned over to kiss him.

The stroke of Gavin's hand on Connor's side made him shiver since he hovered over a few very sensitive sensors. His hand drifted down to Connor's shorts, and his fingers slid behind the elastic to drag it down. After he had freed Connor from it, he quickly stripped off his own.

It seemed almost a little greedy as Connor pushed Gavin onto his back and sat astride on his lap. He looked down on his partner who seemed a little surprised because of Connor's actions and Connor set on a slight smirk.

Between his thighs, he noticed Gavin's dick. Connor was still a little insecure what to do now, but within the last days, he had done some research on this behalf. He knew that he was unable to have sex with Gavin in the way of a human. But he wanted to please him as good as he could.

Connor was still looking down on him as Gavin placed a hand on his hip. Just as if he had read Connor's mind, he gave him a slight pull to get his hips rolling and supported him also with the other hand, so Connor could easily adapt.

He stimulated Gavin with a little friction and sensed that Gavin's dick got harder the more he moved. Meanwhile, he observed every reaction his partner had and could change the intensity of his efforts if Gavin needed it. Within time, the help of Gavin's hands vanished, and Connor moved on his own, while one of Gavin's hands wandered to Connor's stomach.

Gavin didn't know if Connor felt something while stimulating him, but he got the impression that he liked it.

As Gavin started to sigh softly, it encouraged Connor to increase the pace of his movements. At the same time, the grip of Gavin's hand on his hip got a little tighter.

Just a few moments later, Gavin sat up and pulled Connor into a tight embrace. Connor placed his arms on Gavin's shoulders and sensed, how his partner's hands slid down to his bottom to pull him even closer.

Connor leaned down to kiss him and remained in his position for a short time. Meanwhile, he noticed Gavin's fingertips wandering up his back. He could even feel Gavin's fingernails on his skin and how they passed some of his most sensitive sensors. It caused him arching his back, and his lips emanated a soft sigh.

"You're driving me crazy," Gavin muttered, and Connor bowed down to kiss him again.

For a short time, they stayed that way and enjoyed their newly discovered proximity. They showed each other so much tenderness that Connor just wished he could stay in it forever. For him, it was almost enough if Gavin touched some of his sensors once in a while. On the other hand, he loved to watch his partner's reactions and all the longing that his eyes radiated.

Connor's kisses became more demanding and impetuous, as Gavin started to rock his hips to move with him in unison.

Within time Gavin's moans reached a pleading character, and Connor leaned forward to increase the friction even a little more. Gavin got so lost in his feelings that he closed his eyes shut and pulled Connor closer.

Shortly after Gavin died his little death, Connor was clinging so tightly to his partner that there wasn't a single bit of space left. Gavin spasmed a few more times until the last waves of his arousal abated, and Connor kissed him passionately until he needed to breathe.

Even Connor felt slightly dazed because his partner's satisfaction rubbed off on him. He remained sitting on Gavin's lap, just to enjoy the proximity to him, whilst Gavin kissed Connor's throat and peppered further kisses down to his collarbone.

As Gavin lifted his eyes, Connor returned his gaze.

Just now Gavin realised that Connor looked extremely vulnerable at this state.

Connor had been watching him the whole time, but now he didn't even need his night vision. The nearness to Gavin was enough to recognize the satisfied smile on Gavin's lips. Connor cupped Gavin's cheek, moved towards to lean his forehead against Gavin's, and just looked into his eyes.

For Connor, it felt as if he could lose himself in Gavin's embrace, after which Gavin closed his eyes to pull Connor into another intimate kiss.

***

At about the same time, a small group of deviants reached the ship graveyard in Ferndale, where they boarded an anchored freighter named Jericho.

They had just lightened Cyberlife's warehouse on West Torrance Avenue in Michigan of some supplies and blue blood.


	9. Hasty mornings and new deviants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A relaxed Sunday is destroyed...
> 
> New deviants appear on the scene...
> 
> And Connor discusses with Natalie about an 'upgrade'...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: talking about dysphoria, talking about slightly medical(?) things

As Gavin woke up the next morning, Connor laid by his side. For the first time, he had the impression that the android fell asleep because he laid just there - facing him - with his eyes closed. Gavin kept quiet and just watched him. It was still unbelievable for him that everything had developed so well.

Connor gave the image of perfection. Starting with the contours of his face, the length of his lashes and his beautiful curved and soft lips. Even now in bed, he looked perfectly styled. That strand of hair, which Gavin had hated so much back then was still in position. And Gavin remembered that he had touched Connor's hair more than once last night.

Connor had made such an effort to please and satisfy him.

Having sex with Connor had been different for Gavin than with any other man. That impossible amount of innocence that came with everything, made Gavin want him even more. He had been glad to give him a few hints as Connor didn't know what to do and the android had made so much out of it. Gavin didn't mind anymore if Connor was an android or not. For him, it seemed more important that they shared a deep connection, where Gavin wasn't even sure of how it had developed that quickly.

Their experience didn't leave any doubt within Gavin. He was convinced that this thing between them would work out in every way. Connor had looked so innocently at him.

His whole appearance, his touch and everything Connor did, had caused such an arousing effect on Gavin, that he couldn't deny it any longer that he had a serious crush on Connor.

Once he had called it nonsense if a couple was talking about looking into each other's souls while having sex.

By now, he had an idea what it meant...

"It feels strange when you watch me like this," Connor murmured and opened one eye a slid wide.

The edge of Gavin's mouth curved to a slight grin. "I didn't do anything," Gavin resisted but didn't bother to hide his grin either. 

"You did," Connor started to bicker with him. 

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did," Connor replied again, and Gavin moved a little closer, while Connor turned on his back.

Gavin leaned over him and looked down. "Shut up, shithead," Gavin whispered and kissed Connor gently. 

"Slept well, Detective?" Connor asked as Gavin pulled back.

"Yes," Gavin replied. "I like it when you call me detective sometimes," he admitted and grinned at Connor.

"Oh?" Connor frowned and set on a slight smirk. "Really?" he commented amused, and Gavin made an approving sound. "May I stroke your ego with this?" Connor said, and Gavin admitted with a nod that it was true. 

"And I didn't think I could do that at all," Connor teased him. 

"Don't get too cocky now."

"What if I do?"

"Then I'm gonna spank your perfect ass!"

Now Connor started to chuckle.

"What do you think about a nice shower and a morning in bed?" Gavin asked him, while his fingertips circled one of Connor's nipples. 

"Sounds perfect," Connor sighed in return to Gavin's touch.

Gavin stole another kiss from him before turning around and reaching for his cell phone on the nightstand. Connor glanced after him and then slowly sat up. 

"Go ahead. I will join you soon."

Connor probably didn't care what effect it had on Gavin that he just got up, naked as he was, and left the bedroom.

Gavin looked after him - Connor's butt was indeed perfect - and then took another look on his phone display. He scrolled through his messages and found the news in his feeds about something that happened last night in Michigan that was probably related to Deviants.

He wouldn't do anything about it at the moment. If necessary, Fowler would call him to come to the office earlier. His shift would start in about two hours, so he still had a little time, and the thought of showering with Connor and spending some more time in bed was way too tempting.

***

Connor was just about to rinse his hair when Gavin joined him.

Gavin embraced him from behind and leaned forward to touch his shoulder blades with his nose. He peppered his skin with a few kisses here and there and shortly after Connor turned around. Gavin approached him a little further, so there wasn't much space left between them.

Gavin stretched his head to kiss Connor. But since he was a little taller than Gavin, the android started teasing him by leaning his head back. Then he smirked at him, with his eyes half-shut.

But then he couldn't resist anymore and leaned forward to comply with Gavin's wish.

The water trickled down on them and the sight of Connor, with his wet hair and his clouded gaze, didn't leave Gavin cold at all. The longing look he gave him caused Gavin to push Connor against the cold tiled wall of the shower.

Connor flinched as his sensors escalated and Gavin couldn't help but chuckle.

Gavin lifted one of Connor's legs and placed it on the side of his hip before he got even closer.

Connor could feel an upcoming arousal in his lower regions. Then Gavin bit his lower lip, just to pull softly on it before he let it go again.

Gavin's kisses were gentle but also demanding.

The time of their tenderness didn't last long. Suddenly Gavin's phone rang and broke the silence. It sounded almost aggressive and just got drowned by the sounds of splashing water. 

"Your phone is ringing," Connor mumbled, but since he struggled with all the emotions anyway, he kept on kissing Gavin.

His partner didn't let go either. "Fuck it... Our shift hasn't even started, damn it!" he replied and placed his hand on Connor's buttcheek to pull him closer before he kissed him again.

But the phone kept ringing. 

Within the first two minutes, Gavin was relentless, and just hoped it would stop somewhen. 

"Maybe you should answer it," Connor said, and Gavin broke away from him looking towards the living room, but it was clear that he didn't like the idea of picking it up.

Just the moment he grabbed for the shower curtain, the ringing suddenly stopped.  
"There you go..." he murmured and turned back to Connor, who welcomed him with a slight smile.

He was about to kiss him again when Connor withdrew from him. Gavin noticed his eyelids twitching and how he frowned. His LED flashed in a nervous yellow. Connor kept his eyes shut when suddenly Fowler's voice echoed out of his mouth.

"Why don't you pick up the phone when I call you? Get your ass up to the precinct right now. I need you here!"

Connor shook his head as if he wanted to get rid of Fowler's voice and looked at Gavin, his eyes wide-opened.

Gavin stared at him a little shocked. "Fuck, don't do that ever again," Gavin said, and Connor shook his head once more.

"Believe me it was just as uncomfortable for me as it was for you."

***

Well, because of what happened, Connor and Gavin had to hurry. After a quick shower, they got dressed and headed to the precinct. Neither Gavin nor Connor were very fond of the issue. Nevertheless, they could leave earlier because of Connor's appointment at Cyberlife.

Fowler flipped through some documents as Gavin and Connor entered the precinct, and they went over to join him. Fowler did not mention the previous call at all but immediately explained what was going on.

"I assume you got the news already?"

"What news exactly?"

"The one about the Cyberlife warehouse in Michigan?"

Gavin nodded. "I just didn't think it has something to do with our case."

"There's no confirmation of that either, I just thought it would be interesting if you take a look at these photos," Fowler remarked and presented Gavin the file.

Connor leaned over as Gavin opened it. It contained the footage of a security camera. It clearly showed four people. Connor narrowed his eyes. "These are androids. Three at least!"

"How do you know that?" Gavin asked, and Connor just tapped at his LED.

"Don't Deviants usually take them out?" Fowler asked.

"Some don't," Connor replied. "They still wear this mark. Often, if they are in company which celebrates a certain pride."

"What about that one," Fowler asked while tapping on the last person who had no LED attached to its temple. 

"If I interpret the photos correctly, it seems to be something like their leader? Could be human. But I don't want to fix myself on that."

"It seems like they're recruiting other androids for their cause."

This information was new, so Gavin and Connor looked at their boss.

"Where did you get this information?"

"I talked to the director of the warehouse this morning. These are all information the media, fortunately, hasn't heard about yet. A total of five other androids have disappeared. The boxes in which they are stored are empty, so as the containers of Thirium."

"Why didn't they take more of them?" Connor asked.

"That's information I don't know anything about, but they could also have another motive why they're acting like that. Especially thieves are sometimes like that. They just take a bit and stop. We know this behaviour from other cases. It means: being too bold usually breaks the thieves' neck. Next to the new models, one of the security androids disappeared. They assume they took him as well."

"What exactly do you expect from us, Jeffrey?" Gavin asked, but his boss raised his arms.

"You are the detectives. Try to find out what's behind this. Does this thing have something to do with your other case? Maybe they cooperate." 

As he looked at Connor now, the android got the feeling that he wouldn't like what Fowler had to say.

"You act as a mediator."

Connor's eyes widened.

"No, no, no!" Gavin stepped in. "That's out of the question."

Fowler turned his glance at Gavin. "Be that as it may, he's an android. You don't think anyone has a better qualification for this job than him, do you?"

Gavin fell silent, and Fowler glanced back at Connor. "Bring me the necessary information, and I'll see what I can do to improve your position at the precinct."

This was an opportunity Connor couldn't pass up. On the other hand, he took a high risk to find out more about this. He briefly looked at Gavin, but he abstained from any conversation. "Okay," Connor confirmed, and Fowler nodded.

***

As the clock struck three, Connor started to get uneasy in the area of his stomach. The appointment kept his mind busy. Even a little more than he was able to admit.

"I don't know if all this is such a good idea," he said.

After talking to Fowler, they headed back home, but somehow the mood dropped. Connor calculated several possibilities in his mind palace and hadn't found any solution. He had no idea how to reach anyone from the group, let alone how it would all work.

Connor felt overwhelmed by all these emotions. He took a sip of Thirium and looked over to Gavin.

"What are you talking about?" Gavin now asked with interest. He hadn't said a word to Connor in the car after they left Fowler's office. At home, he had been very silent as well.

"All of it." Connor shook his head. 

"The appointment also?" 

For the first time, Connor had some serious doubts. But Gavin blamed the whole situation around their job for this and the responsibility Fowler had projected on him. But he wanted to help Connor.

"Just wait for the appointment. Let's talk about what Natalie thinks about all of your thoughts. Only then you should think about whether you honestly want to do this. A software update certainly can't hurt, can it?"

Connor nodded but didn't seem to be one bit convinced of his reaction.

"Hey..." Gavin tried it by placing his arm around Connor's shoulders. He kissed his temple and looked at him. "Even if you decide against the upgrade. It doesn't matter to me, okay?"

Connor replied to his gaze.

"You should only do this if you want to."

"I know," Connor murmured and dropped his eyes back at his Thirium bottle and took another sip.

"But I want you to know that I'm standing beside you, no matter how you decide."

Connor appreciated Gavin's support and was glad he had brought up the subject.

***

Since Connor didn't want to bother Gavin any further, he stayed calm, even if he was restless inside. Their drive to the Cyberlife Tower went without any problems.

After they had registered at the reception, they went to the elevator. On the way down, Connor seemed lost in thoughts. Suddenly he noticed his partner's hand grabbing his.

"You're not alone. I'll be with you the whole time."

"And what if you can't come with me?"

"They can turn fucking upside down. I'm coming with you if they like it or not," Gavin said to assure him, and now Connor looked at him. 

Connor was glad that Gavin gave him the needed support. Depending on how it would turn out at the end, it would be a big step for Connor anyway.

After they arrived at the 45th floor, they stepped out of the elevator and went to the registration desk. Gavin kindly did this for Connor while he looked around.

"She'll be right there," Gavin muttered as he rejoined Connor.

Less than two minutes later, Natalie came across the floor to meet them. Right before them, she stopped and looked at them in amazement when she saw Connor in his new clothes.

"Oh my gosh, what have you done with your clothes," she asked freely, and Connor smiled.

"This was him," he said, pointing with a wave of his head in Gavin's direction.

"Come on, you picked the clothes yourself," Gavin replied, and Natalie raised her brows.

"Nice! I like it. Let's have a look at you," she asked Connor, and with a movement of her finger, she asked him to turn around.

With a grin, Connor followed her request.

"Was it his own decision?" she asked Gavin, but he shook his head.

"We decided to dress him differently after this unpleasant accident. Thanks to the new clothes we don't have to worry about anyone seeing his LED or other light elements in the dark. It'll make our stakeouts way easier."

"Uh-huh," Natalie replied and apparently couldn't take her eyes off Connor. She looked thoughtful. "We should consider designing casual clothing for some models."

Gavin looked at his partner, his lips showed a mischievous grin, what Connor replied.

"Come with me," she asked them to do so, and they went to her office.

After they took a seat, Natalie looked at Connor. Her gaze seemed encouraging. "What can I help you with, Connor?" she asked, and Connor pondered for a moment, before finally addressing the topic. 

"In the first line, this is about a software update. I would like to develop myself, and I notice that I am reaching my limits at times. I'm not getting any more feedback from my software, and I wanted to talk to you about whether it's possible to make an update for this."

"Do you mean you have problems with your adaption software?"

Connor nodded. "To be honest, the software overlaps from time to time. It seems like I'm extremely unstable within these moments. I often find myself in situations where something seems obvious. But I'm - as people put it so nicely - not getting anywhere. Then I'm trying to think about it, and a search on the internet is the only feedback I get from my software. But the time to get there is so time-consuming, that it seems unnatural for others. Actually, I get into such situations from time to time, in which I simply want to use my social skills to the fullest and just can't, because my adaption software won't let me. That's what I want to change."

"Well..." Natalie started. "What I can suggest is that we create a patch that optimizes incidents like the one with the Internet search. Such a thing is quite possible, and I already have an idea of how this could work. That should make sure that this unstable impression disappears. But I can already tell you that some of your ideas aren't possible to realize the way you would like it. Because life is just too unpredictable for that."

Connor nodded, even if parts of his plan weren't possible. 

"I can help you to make some things smoother. But let me tell you: There are just as many people who are just as helpless as you in a situation like this. In this case, I wouldn't recommend applying a patch, because it might make things more natural, but it also changes some character traits. Things that make you loveable - or in some cases despicable." She spoke gently to him, and he understood what she was getting at.

"I understand," Connor replied. With her next statement, she finally took away Connor's hope for another matter.

"Individual traits are just as important in a person's development as various behaviours. It sounds great to give someone introverted some extroversion. But it also changes the whole way of thinking and with it many behaviours. Especially with your programming, this could lead to your processor becoming overloaded at some point. The software will overlap, and your entire system would crash."

Now Gavin also joined in. "To be honest, I sometimes tell him to take the damn stick out of his ass. But if I imagine that certain updates will completely change him in terms of his character, I don't know if that's such a good idea," he said, and Connor looked at him. 

"You are his partner. You have to get along with him. I don't necessarily think that's a good idea either." Connor realized that he didn't think about changing himself, and it wasn't something he would like either.

"The improvement - That thing with the internet search - you can do that, right?" he asked.

"Sure. I wouldn't even need much time for the programming."

"Good!" Connor replied. "Then I would be glad if you can do that to give me a certain advance to handle some situations better."

After they agreed to this point, Natalie took a few notes for later. Then she looked at Connor again.

"Gavin told me there's something else you wanna talk to me about." Her tone was remarkably cautious, and so Connor felt at least a little more secure to be open about his thoughts.

"There's something we should probably tell you first..." he started, glancing slightly sideways at Gavin, who looked back at him. Connor just opened his mouth to say something, but Natalie smelled the rat. 

"Guys, you're not going to tell me that you..." she said while pointing with a pen in her hand from one to the other and back again.

Connor fell silent and bit his lips instead before he looked at Gavin like he was begging for help.

"I...think so?" Gavin replied, and Natalie raised her eyebrows. 

"Okay, that was... unexpected," she continued, but could not help but smile. 

"And how do you think I can help you with that?" she asked, visibly amused.

Connor had countless things on his mind, and he was sure that if he opened his mouth now, his voice program would fail, especially if he waited any longer. "With an... upgrade?" Connor asked, and Natalie nodded. 

"I see..."

"It is actually about finding out first of all whether something like this is even possible for him," Gavin interjected.

"It wasn't you who had the idea, was it?" she asked.

Gavin now shook his head in defence. 

"No, it was my idea," Connor objected. 

"With what purpose?" Natalie asked. At first, neither of them knew what to answer until Connor finally got tired of keeping up this facade.

"It has two reasons, to be honest." It was hard for Connor to explain himself, but he tried.

"The first inspection he did on me, he forgot to turn off my sensors." Connor hoped that this would be enough information for now and Natalie confirmed his hope by nodding. 

"If I interpret my research correctly, it doesn't belong to human intimacy to do some kind of... wire play?" he asked. 

"Right, it doesn't," Natalie confirmed. 

"But having sex, on the other hand, is a completely normal thing which belongs to it."

"Also correct."

"The first reason is, that I just want to be close to him. Of course, I have my sensory system, but I have the impression that I just reach a certain point with them, and there's nothing more." 

Natalie took a moment until she finally turned to Gavin. "What do you think about that?" she asked him. 

"I've already told him that he doesn't have to do this because of me. However, I think it might be good for him psychologically as well." Natalie looked at Connor again.

"That's the second reason I'm talking about. I feel a certain kind of dysphoria, and it's becoming more and more complicated for me to deal with it."

Natalie needed a moment before she answered. "To be completely honest: We've never done anything like this before. I mean, upgrading a prototype afterwards like that. But it's not impossible in general. We could flip the synapses of your sensors as well so that your sensations in this regard take on a human character. However, this would be a serious intervention. You are aware of that, aren't you?"

She added a certain weight to her statement. "There is no plug & play. Just to create proper connections in terms of your neural system will take a while to make it more natural. Because I assume you intend to want to use it that way, right?"

Connor nodded. "Yes, if that's possible."

"I have to check it out and have to talk to a few colleagues from the unit about what they think about your idea. And what they think about how possible they would rate an implementation. - Which won't be easy anyway, given the fact that you've broken through your command wall," Natalie continued. 

"I understand," Connor replied. 

"Please don't be angry with me for not being able to make you any promises in this regard. But I will check and let you know. Okay?"

Connor was content with her answer. "Okay," he said. "This is more than I had hoped for."

Gavin was reluctant to ask the question, but he felt forced to ask it, anyway.   
"Let's assume for a second that this thing works. What would it cost?" Natalie looked at him a little worried. 

"Unfortunately, I have to pass on this question as well, because it's not just the parts we have to install but also the whole background."

Gavin saw that she was sorry she couldn't give them more information, so he didn't hesitate.

When they said goodbye, Natalie escorted them to the door. "Take care of yourselves, okay?" she said, and Gavin nodded confidently. 

"Anyone who wants something from him gets to deal with me first," he said somewhat big-headedly, and Natalie smiled. 

"I can imagine that," she replied. 

"I'll get back to you as soon as I'm done with the patch and have new information, okay?"

In the elevator, Connor looked up. He couldn't wait for them to leave the building. Although the appointment had been informative, it didn't help him much. Nevertheless, he was somehow satisfied. At least it wasn't completely impossible, what he had thought about.

***

After they had returned to Gavin's apartment, Connor sat down on the couch and tried to accomplish his task by establishing a connection to the unknown deviants. Fowler had intended well with it, and Connor could understand his decision to make him a mediator.

But it didn't work out the way Connor had planned. He was a deviant, no question, but it didn't provide him with some kind of invisible network, just to get in contact with any criminals.

He re-examined the photos in his data and searched for abandoned places all over Detroit. He gained access to the surveillance cameras installed there but found no clue he could relate. 

All the while Connor had been sitting on the couch with his eyes closed while Gavin made himself something to eat and finally turned on the TV. A little later, Connor opened his eyes.

"I feel that I just can't get any further," he said, closing his eyes and lowered his head a bit. He reached his limits, something that had practically never happened to him before.

Gavin could tell Connor was a little desperate, so he thought it was time to get him thinking about something else. "You know what? Get ready... we're leaving."

"But where do we go?" he asked, visibly confused. 

"You'll see," Gavin replied, grinning conspiratorially. 

"You need to get your mind off things. Come on now," he said and stood up. Connor didn't quite know how to react, but due to the circumstances he agreed and stood up.

"Come with me," Gavin asked him and headed for the bedroom.

Connor followed him.

His partner was busy at the closet, pulling out a black shirt with a light stand-up collar and a white leather jacket. "Here... try these on," he said and shoved the two items into Connor's hands.   
"They are a little too tight for me. But they might fit you," Gavin continued.

Connor complied with his request. However, he was a little unsure when it came to adjusting the collar of the shirt.

"Wait..." Gavin said and unbuttoned the top button of the shirt.

"Leave it like that!" Gavin's smile irritated Connor a little. 

"Looks good..."

"You're starting to talk like Natalie," Connor replied and got a kiss from Gavin the next moment. 

"See for yourself," Gavin said and closed the wardrobe doors.

Now Connor could look at himself in the mirror. The leather jacket fitted him well, as well as the shirt.

"What are we going to do about this one," Connor asked, tapping on his LED. 

"Don't worry about that. Take your cap with you for the road. I bet there's not a single soul who's bothering with it at the place we're going," he replied, and Connor raised his eyebrows.

Where the hell would he take him?


	10. Plastic fucks better?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Gavin go to a certain club...
> 
> There they meet some strangers, who are possibly more important than it seems at first...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: Alcohol, homophobia (mentioned), internal homophobia, also Gay Sex ;)

During their ride, Connor asked Gavin a few questions about their destination, but Gavin didn't give anything away. After a while, he drove into a parking lot.

After he got out of the car, Connor joined him. He still didn't know where they were or where his partner was taking him, but then Gavin crossed the street and headed for a club on the other side. It was illuminated with big neon signs, showing the club's name.

The "Shades of Funk" didn't give away what kind of club it was, but Connor saw some small groups of guys outside, standing there to smoke a cigarette. But that didn't give him a hint on what he could suspect to what was coming.

Connor pulled his cap a little deeper into his face as he was worried that someone might see that he wasn't human. 

Determined, Gavin walked towards the entrance.

A bouncer greeted them and looked at them suspiciously. "Haven't seen you in ages bro," he said with a deep voice to Gavin and Connor noticed that his partner started to grin. 

"I had little reason to come here," he replied. 

"Off you go. Is this yours?" The bouncer looked at Gavin, his expression more questioning and Gavin agreed. "Do you like plastic now?" he asked Gavin, who just had the right answer.

"Just fucks better, didn't you know that?"

Connor narrowed his eyes, but let Gavin do the talk because he didn't want to cause any trouble. How rude was Gavin anyway?

They laughed, but as Connor looked a little closer at Gavin, he noticed that typical mask on him. He would recognize it out of thousands because it was typical for Gavin to act scornfully if there was something he was hiding.

So they entered the club. The music drummed straight into the direction of the entrance.

Connor had a few difficulties to compensate at first, but his software got a handle on it quickly. It would be a bit more difficult if Gavin wanted to talk to him at this volume. And then there was the realization that this was not a regular bar, but a gay club. 

The many couples seen on the dance floor were mostly male. The women who had dared to come here stood at the bar in pairs.

Gavin guided his partner through the crowd, over to the bar where he ordered a coke with a shot of vodka. He sat down on one of the bar stools and gave Connor an asking look.

Connor returned his gaze and almost wished he could communicate with Gavin by telepathy, which was sometimes typical among androids. So he shifted one corner of his mouth to a smirk and shook his head.

Gavin pulled him closer and kissed him. "Don't be like that. At least we can act like a normal couple without being uncomfortable," he more or less shouted into his ear.

"You don't come here often, do you?" Connor asked him, and Gavin shook his head. 

"Last time I've been here was about a year ago," he replied. "It's good for a change of scenery. There's nothing else for me here," he continued, smiling at Connor and took a sip of his drink.

Even though Connor was well aware that the atmosphere here didn't suit Gavin at all, let alone him, he went along with it and loosened up a bit after a few minutes.

For Gavin, on the other hand, alcohol did the trick.

"Would you like to dance?" Gavin asked Connor after a while, and he tilted his head. 

"I don't know. I've never danced before."

Gavin couldn't help but smile and emptied his glass. "Why don't you give it a try?" he said and pulled his partner onto the dance floor.

Connor analyzed the movements of the other people dancing on the way.

Gavin proved on the dance floor that he had a lot of movement and enjoyed it. 

He danced to Connor again and again and placed his arm around Connor's hips to pull him closer. 

Connor had a little trouble to dance at first because he didn't even know where to start, but slowly got a taste for it.

Gavin even took off Connor's cap and put it on his head with its shield backwards.

Meanwhile, Connor's hair came loose from his fixed hairstyle, and several strands fell into his face. With a smile, he showed Gavin that he enjoyed moving around the dance floor. He let roll his hips, against Gavin's and Gavin placed a leg between Connor's to fall with him into a seductive dance, in which they riled up each other.

Connor had the opportunity to forget his work for a moment. Here on the dance floor, he was able to break out of his fixed patterns. He had an opportunity to be close to Gavin, and it seemed that his partner also highly enjoyed it.

***

They were both exuberant, and Gavin was sure if they came home, they would have a good time. He liked the thought of Connor, finally losing some of his straight composure and just letting him self get distracted a bit.

But sadly it didn't come that far.

Connor had a great time and was happy that everything around him distracted him a little. Here he could be the way he wanted, and he didn't notice a single sign of discrimination. He leaned back at the counter, and as his gaze wandered, he sensed something breaking through his outer command wall.

"Who are you?" he heard a male voice talking in his head, and he looked around searching.

Gavin sipped his new drink when he noticed Connor's eyes twitching heavily. His LED turned yellow and changed then into a light orange. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Gavin asked him quickly and waited for a response. 

"There's someone in my head," Connor said, his eyes still in a searching-mode, while he became more and more nervous. Then his eyes caught something in the direction of the toilets.

Gavin couldn't quite figure out what was happening.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," Connor told him, and Gavin saw him heading toward the toilets.

Since he was a little foggy from the alcohol, he didn't shift gears immediately and stayed on his seat for now.

***

Connor didn't expect a clean toilet like he was used to at Gavin's apartment, but what he witnessed here was beyond any concerns.

The club's toilets were dirty, the walls either full of graffiti or showed messages. Some of them had quite a filthy character. From one of the cabins, Connor heard a soft moan. Apparently, some people used it for another purpose as for the one it was supposed to be. 

Connor's LED glowed in a restless yellow, and his software was overwhelmed by various emotions. He suspected another android, who had talked to him and that he had lured him here. It was the moment Connor asked himself why he even came here without Gavin.

But he didn't have time to think about it, because a second later he noticed a sting in his back. Besides that, he heard the voice of the Stranger, who had contacted him a few minutes ago.

"Go into the cabin," the voice asked him, and Connor complied.

Inside the cabin, the Stranger twisted Connor's arm, and now he was facing him. 

As dark as it seemed in the booth, Connor could see the sharp contours of his jaw, his lips, and the different coloured eyes of his counterpart. He didn't have a LED and Connor was a little confused. His thoughts ran through various scenarios, but he wasn't able to push the Stranger away.

Then Fowler's photographs came into his mind. The ones he showed them with the suspects, who cleared the warehouse at Cyberlife. His analysis also brought up the result, that the person standing before him was the one, who Connor had assumed to be the leader of the group.

His voice sounded very attractive and soothing. "I thought so."

A bad feeling rose inside Connor, and he licked his lips. To hold on his composure, Connor grinned.

"Who are you? I've never seen you here before!" the Stranger asked. He almost whispered, and Connor became uneasy.

Connor wished that Gavin was here. But he stayed calm. "I'm not here often," he whispered. 

"You seem very bold to come here while still wearing this," he said, and Connor noticed how he touched his LED, which now changed colours and glowed in a faint orange. 

"Are you scared of me?" the Stranger asked when he noticed the colour change, but still grinned. 

Connor tried to play the situation down. "Well, how would you react if a stranger picked you up somewhere? Without having any idea what he is up to?" he replied, and the Stranger snorted.

"I want to help you," he said, and Connor didn't know what he meant.

A moment later, the Stranger reached for Connor's hand and retracted his skin. He tried to connect with Connor and the whole process felt for him like an intrusion. It reminded him of the process he went through as he became a deviant.

"Please..." he sighed, more surprised because the Stranger tried to overwrite a program file. A second later, Connor withstood. 

The Stranger bit his lip, while Connor's software pushed him out of his system and so he backed off and let Connor go. He almost looked a little indignant at him.  
"You belong to someone, and you don't want to be free?" he asked him. "Why?" he continued.

Before Connor could reply anything, he noticed Gavin's voice outside the stall cabin and it sounded in his ears like a lifeline, tied to a drowning man who was about to sink.

"Connor? Where are you?" he shouted, and Connor, who was still glancing back at the Stranger, replied almost immediately. 

"Gavin, I'm here!"

The Stranger remained silent, He waited, and Connor kept an eye on him. 

"Let go of me, plastic prick!" Gavin cursed before he pulled open the door.

Connor fell a weight off his shoulders as he saw Gavin, but still pressed himself against the wall. He saw how Gavin looked at the Stranger, but then another person, who Connor immediately identified as the Blonde in the before mentioned photos of this morning, grabbed Gavin from behind.

But his partner shook him off. "Keep your filthy hands off me, I said!" Gavin hissed at him.

Suddenly, the Stranger, who was still in the cabin with Connor, raised the word. "Simon, leave him!" 

The Blonde took a step back.

Gavin pulled his partner out of the stall and gave the Stranger one last look before he dragged Connor out and headed for the exit. "What the hell did you think? What even was this all about?" Gavin asked Connor on the way out, but Connor couldn't answer. His thoughts were spinning.

What happened back at the toilets, Connor kept for himself for now. He just wanted to get out of the club and drive home with Gavin.

Outside in front of Gavin's car, Gavin finally let go of Connor and looked at him. "You can't just go somewhere without telling me what you're up to."

Connor realized that what he had done, didn't necessarily make sense. "I'm sorry," he said in a soothing tone what immediately calmed Gavin down a little. 

"Who knows what else he would've done to you if I hadn't shown up." Gavin's voice was full of worries, but Connor couldn't help but smile slightly. 

"Gavin, I..." he started, and his partner looked at him. "You know I can take someone out in a matter of seconds if I want to, right?"

Gavin snorted. "Of course, I know that. But would you please be so kind, and let me think that I can protect you at least a little bit?" he replied, and Connor shook his head, still grinning. Gavin searched in his pockets for the car keys. 

"Can you drive?" he asked, and Connor, who was able to drive a car, went over to Gavin, and took his cap off Gavin's head. He put it back on again, this time the right way. 

"Of course I can," he said and planted a quick kiss on Gavin's lips before he took the keys out of his hand.

Even though Connor didn't have a driver's license, he still had the right to drive, as long as a human was with him. He never had used this implementation of his software before, but now that he needed it, he was glad.

During the ride, they didn't talk. Connor wanted to wait until they were back home. But on their way, Gavin got so tired that he dozed off a little. Connor blamed it on the alcohol.

As they arrived home, Connor parked the car and looked over to his partner, who honestly fell asleep. Gavin slept so deeply, that he didn't even notice that the car wasn't moving anymore. Connor looked at him, and in a way, he liked the thought that Gavin trusted him so much, that he let him drive and counted on him doing everything right.

"Gavin?" Connor whispered, and his partner just reacted with a gruff sound. Connor leaned over and placed a kiss on Gavin's neck. "Wake up Detective, we're home," he whispered again, and now Gavin woke up.

Together they went upstairs and Gavin, who was visibly tired, waited until Connor unlocked the door and they could enter the apartment. 

"Do you wanna go straight to bed?" Connor asked him, and Gavin peeled off his leather jacket, wiped his shoes off and nodded. 

"I'm so fucking tired..."

"The power of alcohol, I guess," Connor said, and even before he could make a scene, Gavin went over to the bedroom. Connor joined him and helped Gavin getting rid of his clothes.

His partner fell onto the bed, dressed only in shorts.

When Connor laid down on the bed, Gavin snuggled up against him, and within minutes he fell asleep. Connor gently stroked his hair and thought about what he would tell Gavin the other morning after they got up. He had to tell him that the guys they had met at the club had been the ones they should be looking after. He also had some other things to talk about.

To be clear, Connor had a little bone to pick with Gavin...

***

When Gavin woke up the other morning, Connor looked at the clock. He didn't need to, but it had turned into a quirk of his to look at the clock. It was still time until they had to get up, so Connor snuggled deeper into the sheets. 

Gavin, who had his head placed on Connor's chest, was still a little off track. But after a few moments, Gavin moaned silently, and Connor sensed how Gavin's nose brushed over the skin of his pecs, where he left a kiss.

"Good morning, Detective," Connor whispered, and Gavin lifted his gaze, where they exchanged glances. 

"Good morning," Gavin replied and reached up to kiss Connor on his mouth. 

Even if Gavin tasted like stale alcohol and anybody else probably would have hated it, Connor didn't mind, since it was just Gavin. The deep connection to him made him feel secure, and he just accepted it.

Gavin moved a little closer and pulled him deeper into the sheets before he bent over Connor and squeezed himself between his legs. Longingly, he looked at Connor, his eyes still full of sleep and half shut. Connor couldn't help but sigh softly as he noticed how Gavin pressed himself against his pelvis. Gavin's erection was highly noticeable between his legs, and Connor sighed in anticipation.

Connor could feel Gavin's weight on him as he slowly started rubbing against him. His forehead rested against Connor's shoulder. Gavin's hot breath sent a comfortable shiver down Connor's skin, right into his chassis and Connor grabbed for his hair.

Gavin's movements turned jerky, and Connor placed his legs around his partner's waist. 

When Connor's kisses became demanding, he noticed Gavin's hands slipping under his shoulders and how he placed them on them from behind. Gavin pulled him even closer, and there wasn't any space left between them. 

Just before he climaxed, Gavin lifted his head and sought for eye-contact. 

Even though he didn't feel much unless Gavin caressed his sensors with his fingertips. But Connor found it extremely pleasant when his partner had sex with him in this way.

His looks, his noises... The closeness... he enjoyed it all so much...

As Gavin reached his climax, Connor tried to absorb all the impressions of the instant. The way how Gavin's hair loosened, how his nostrils trembled, and his breath became unsteady. Gavin's grip tightened, and the way he looked at Connor made him feel connected to his partner deep inside...

After a few final twitches, Gavin regained his senses and kissed Connor longingly and touched his tongue with his own.

Connor could feel his partner's heart beating so strong that it reached right into his thirium pump.

Gavin pulled back and showed a gentle smile before he kissed Connor again.

***

Outside of Detroit, the two Strangers had made their way back to Jericho. Due to the continuous rain, they were soaked to the skin. 

"What were you thinking?" the Blonde asked his friend, but the latter just grinned at him. "Don't smile at me like that. Tell me, Markus!"

Markus stopped and tilted his head. "Simon... Don't be like that. You almost sound a bit like you're jealous," he replied and grabbed his friend's jacket to pull him closer, but Simon didn't let go and broke free. 

"That was pretty reckless! You don't even have a clue who that was exactly. Besides, he was in human company."

Markus realized that under certain circumstances, it would have been a little careless the way he had acted. But Simon didn't know everything.

"Simon, do you trust me?" Markus asked him, and the Blonde's gaze became soft. 

"Of course I do," he replied. Now his voice became calm, and Markus approached him for a few steps. He was so near that their clothes almost touched at chest level.

Markus took Simon's hand, and the Blonde noticed that his friend was asking for access to his data. He retracted his skin and Simon looked at him.

"Markus, I..."

"You don't have to say anything," Markus murmured and made eye-contact with him. "You never have to..." he continued and bent forward to pull Simon into a gentle kiss.

***

"Tell me," Connor started, while they sat in the living room, and Gavin was just about to have breakfast. 

"Huh?" Gavin looked at him questioningly. 

"What was that all about last night?" Connor tilted his head slightly and smiled a little amused at him. "Plastic fucks better?"

Now Gavin frowned and could not help but grin. "I had to say something."

"Oh, yeah?!" Connor lifted his eyebrows but still seemed amused. 

"Before you ask, I used to come to this club a lot. But like I said, the last time I was there is about a year ago. I've never taken anyone there before either."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you made such a scene or even beat me back then as I asked you a simple question."

Gavin's look was confused.

"When you thought I asked you about your sexual orientation? Right after we started working together? Does that ring a bell?" Connor waited a moment but showed a slight grin to assure Gavin that he wasn't mad at him. 

"Well..." Gavin started and took another sip of coffee. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but a few years ago it wasn't as easy as it is today when you - as a police officer - were more into men".

"It wasn't?" Connor asked in surprise, and Gavin shook his head. 

"If you outed yourself as gay, they avoided coming in contact with you. They let you feel that you didn't belong to them. That you are not welcome. I wouldn't have been the first police officer they would've found beaten up in an alley."

Connor seemed surprised. After all, he just knew the world as it was today. The tolerance level to gay, transgender people and every one on that spectrum was so much higher.

"To avoid such a catastrophe, I went out of town if I wanted to visit certain clubs. Nobody knew me, and so I could be just the person I am without having to justify myself."

"I see," Connor replied. 

"Especially at the precinct, I eagerly wanted to avoid anyone noticing that I'm not into women. I guess that's also the reason for my... indignant reaction. And I still feel sorry for that."

"Don't worry, it's okay. I mean you didn't damage something, and I just asked because I was a little confused when that guy treated you like someone he's known for years."

"I understand. But now you can see why." 

Connor nodded at Gavin's explanation and was okay with it.

"By the way, there's something I should probably mention," Connor finally started because he wanted to tell him about the Stranger and what he became aware of. 

Gavin looked at him with an asking glance.

"That guy from yesterday," Connor paused. "...or rather the two guys..." He didn't know how to express it correctly. "They belong to the group Fowler showed us in the pictures."

Within an instant, Gavin's glance became shocked. "You can't be serious."

Connor nodded and bit his lips. "I'm afraid I am," he replied, and Gavin leaned backwards. 

"What exactly happened in that cabin?" Gavin asked him.

Connor took a deep artificial breath before he answered. "To sum things up, the Stranger pushed me against the wall and tried to interface with me."

He saw how Gavin was thinking about the things he said and Connor was aware of it that it would come into Gavin's mind that he had told him, that androids used this kind of connection to exchange data and - of course - to have sex. 

Gavin narrowed his eyes and became upset. "If I'd known... I would have... dude..."

"Nothing happened! He said he wanted to help me first. But then he wanted to overwrite my data and the certificate which contains who I belong to. I suppose he wanted to set me free or something like that."

Gavin cocked his head. 

"Don't worry, my software forced him out of the system before he could even change something. But he was surprised that I didn't want to be free."

Now Gavin shook his head.

"We have to tell this to Fowler," Connor continued, and Gavin didn't quite know what to say in response. "It's important, Gavin!"

Now Gavin became a bit angry. "Sure, we go to a gay club, you meet two suspects, one of whom drags you into the toilet, and we're supposed to tell Fowler without hesitation. Why not the whole precinct?"

Connor didn't understand why Gavin made a scene. At least Fowler knew about his tendencies. 

"Sorry... I'm... I'm still so deep into this whole avoiding state of telling anyone I'm gay. I'm just reluctant to do it," he said, taking a deep breath.

"Everything is fine," Connor murmured and stood up. On his way to the door, he planted a quick kiss on Gavin's temple. "Come, we gotta go. We're already a little late," he said, but as Gavin looked at him, he noticed that Connor didn't want to go to work, himself not even mentioned.

Gavin sighed and stole another kiss from Connor before he got up and the two of them finally made their way to the precinct.

***

Gavin and Connor told Fowler about the encounter with the two strangers. They also explained that their leader had started an attempt to interface and corrupt his data, but that he hadn't been able to do something.

Fowler was content but a little annoyed that Connor and Gavin didn't get more out of them. But the progress alone was something for what he praised them. He also told them not to stop. Fowler still wanted Connor to establish a connection to the group. 

Connor had discovered that the rather intimate contact with the Stranger had given him access to him, but it was limited. Connor felt like he was knocking on a door that remained closed to him. His analysis showed that the other person noticed that Connor wanted to make contact with him, but he still denied him access.

So Connor wasn't able to locate him or even talk to him.

Connor still had hopes that the android would somehow contact him again, but a few days went by, and absolutely nothing happened.

He and Gavin observed again at various places in the evening while he researched his data to see if there was another possibility to reconnect with the Stranger. 

While Gavin always kept his eyes on what was going on, Connor spent time in his mind palace. He usually only let himself be pulled out of it after Gavin needed his attention to various things.


	11. A lesson on allying with the enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor gets in touch with Markus and they arrange a meeting.
> 
> However, it doesn't turn out quite as Gavin and Connor had planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Guns, Argument, Threatening
> 
> The Scribble in this Chapter was made by the lovely Semains again - Thank you so much! <3 - Their Twitter: https://twitter.com/SemainsArgevan

The other evening, they observed a group of five individuals, three of them with the stature of a child.

Gavin felt insatiable desire to arrest them. But they always looked like they could beat him up with the littlest effort. Without any kind of reinforcement, he wouldn't get anywhere. Besides that, he didn't want to risk losing Connor with such an action. Furthermore, his vision became worse and worse during their stakeouts because the snow- and rainfall got stronger.

The night was already advanced when Gavin emptied his Coke Zero and took a look at his watch.

Connor stuck in his mind palace for two hours again. He looked almost eerie at times. He just sat there, stiff, with fluttering eyelids, and for Gavin, it seemed as if he was incredibly busy with what he was doing.

Meanwhile, Connor took a deep breath, he even groaned now and then. He failed another task of getting in contact with the Stranger or his group.

Fowler probably had had no idea what kind of burden he had put on Connor's shoulders. His failures to contact someone even haunted him when their shift was over.

Gavin wiped his left eye and tried to suppress a yawn. His legs felt stiff, and he longed for taking a few steps outside, but that wasn't possible in his situation. Instead, he stretched in his seat, put his backrest back a bit, and took a deep breath.

In his mind palace, Connor was brooding over his virtual desk. The holographic surface he had created to keep track of all the clues, was filled with them, and he kept pushing them from side to side. He tried to build up any conclusions and desperately tried to find a way out of his own disaster.

Connor bit his lower lip and frowned. He shook his head and took a deep breath before he closed the holographic interface with a swipe of his hand's edge. His fingers twitched restlessly across the desk panel to get rid of some tension.

Once again, he entered his inner mind and, for the probably twentieth time that evening, he attempted to get in contact with the Stranger. There it was again, that impervious door, on which he knocked, but remained closed to him. With the right commands, he could have easily broken it. But he wasn't programmed to override the system of another android by force. Sure, he could probe his memory, but this was only possible if he had direct contact with his counterpart.

"You're pretty persistent, my friend," the Stranger's voice suddenly appeared in his head and Connor flinched.

Before he could answer, the Stranger addressed him again. "What do you want?" he asked, and Connor, who felt overwhelmed by this sudden success, didn't know what to answer.

"I..." he started because his fear of losing contact again was too big. Then he tried to pull himself together, to give the Stranger a proper answer and to push their conversation forward. He remained polite and objective, or at least he tried to.

"I want to know who you are," Connor said but received no answer first. He already thought he had lost contact again, but the Stranger apparently pondered about what he was going to reply.

"Call me Markus. That's all you need to know," he said then.

Gavin watched how Connor's eyelids fluttered, his breath stumbled, and he trembled once in a while erratically. For a moment, he got the impression that Connor's system was about to overheat because his nostrils started to twitch, and with breathing heavily, he tried desperately to cool down his system.

It almost seemed as if Connor was about to panic. But Gavin just lifted his eyebrows and watched him in astonishment, but was ready to pull him out of this state if it was necessary.

For Connor, the conversation with Markus was a step forward, but it didn't help him with his task. Although he was a bit self-conscious at first and afraid of the moment that Markus might simply break off contact, he became a bit more courageous.

"Is there any chance that we could talk? On a real level?" he asked him, and Markus took his time answering.

"Come to Lake Front Park in the district of St. Claire Shores. In the middle of the park, you will find a bridge that leads over a creek. Take your dog on a leash!" Right after that, Markus cut off the connection.

Connor noticed the clock speed of his processor increasing and how he got excited. Just now he noticed, that Markus meant Gavin with his last sentence and he grinned slightly.

Shortly afterwards Connor stepped out of his mind-palace. He still breathed heavily, and he needed a moment to regain complete consciousness.

To Gavin, it seemed as if Connor had just finished some hard work because he looked a little worried. "What's wrong?" Gavin asked his partner, and Connor turned his head.

However, Connor couldn't sum up what happened yet and just gave him an exhausted glance.

"You should have seen yourself," Gavin said.

"Why?" Connor asked a little unsure and Gavin just shook his head slightly.

"It seemed like a mixture of a panic attack and as if you're flipping through various certain websites." Gavin was visibly amused, but Connor shook his head.

"I finally managed to get in contact with Markus."

"Who?"

"The Stranger... from the club."

Suddenly Gavin's expression changed. "What did he say?" he asked, and Connor tried to pull himself together.

"He wants us to come to Lake Front Park in the St. Claire Shores district. He agreed to meet us."

Gavin was slightly confused. "He agreed to this?" he asked, and Connor nodded. Gavin didn't have to ask twice to start the engine and get on the road immediately.

***

After they arrived at the park, Gavin parked his car, and they got out. He took a quick look around to get a brief overview and considered everything as safe.

While it was raining slightly at the other end of Detroit, here it snowed a bit. Single snowflakes flew through the air, and Gavin saw some of them settling in Connor's hair. Gavin pulled up the zipper of his leather jacket and then the hood of his hoody over his head. Together they searched the bridge Markus had mentioned. But it didn't take long for them to find it.

They could spot two figures on it, already from a certain distance. One of them leaned against the railing of the bridge, while the other stood in front of him. Connor identified the one leaning against the railing as Markus. The other one gave them a sceptical look.

But before Connor got too close to them, he bent his head slightly in the direction of his partner.  
"Please promise me you will behave yourself," he said, and Gavin immediately interpreted his statement as an attack.

But before Gavin could respond, Connor gave him a distinct look. Gavin stopped and just joined Connor shortly after he had taken a few steps further.

When Connor was about three feet away from Simon and Markus, he stopped. His system had heated up so much that some air escaped his lips. Thanks to the cold, it looked like a cloud.

Connor tried to analyze all the impressions and store them in his data. He wanted to save all the information for later. Who knew how the conversation would proceed and what details he would need to move the investigation forward.

Within a few moments, he found out that Markus' second eye was a spare part that didn't match his original chassis. Among humans, they called something like this a Heterochromia. Connor could also read the signature below his synthetic skin, which confirmed what he already had suspected: Markus was a prototype - just like himself. To be exact, he was an RK200.

The other Android originated from a series that had been sold in almost tens of thousands of units throughout the United States.

The PL600 was a popular model, but probably just as prone to errors. The corresponding statistics made an almost alarming impression. Simon still had an LED.

Every other remaining evidence suggesting that the two were androids had been removed.

To show Markus that he appreciated his trust, Connor introduced himself and Gavin. "My name is Connor. This is Gavin," he said and made a wave with his hand in the direction of his partner.

"Is he human?" Simon asked, and Connor nodded.

"Yes!" he confirmed.

The Blonde spoke up. "Do you trust him?"

Connor nodded again. "He is my partner," he said, but before he could continue, Markus intervened.

"Do you want to enlighten us right away, or shall I do it for you," he asked, addressing Connor, and for some reason, he could guess what Markus was pointing at.

"We work for the Detroit Police Department if that's what you mean."

Simon seemed shocked. Apart from that, Connor realized that Gavin didn't like it at all that he gave this information away without knowing if they were safe, but Connor stood firm.

"What does the DPD want from a couple of deviants who aren't even in their district?" Markus asked.

"We know about your little episode on West Torrance Avenue." Connor heard a soft laugh from Markus.

"Doesn't that also count as 'outside'?"

"You're not trying to tell me that your group is just checking out the Cyberlife warehouses outside of Detroit, are you?" Connor replied and Markus tilted his head.

"So far, we have refrained from doing so."

"And what about the androids that you're sending out and equipping with different bio-components to blow them up?"

Now Markus seemed irritated.

Connor was just bluffing because he actually didn't know whether Markus had anything to do with the case or not. But if he did and Markus would deny it, Connor's analysis software would strike and prove that he was lying.

"What are you talking about?" he asked him and his look became severe.

"West Riverfront Park, West Riverwalk... Does that ring a bell?" Connor wanted to know, but Markus didn't seem to know, what he meant.

"Whatever you're talking about - our group has nothing to do with it," Markus responded.

"Give me a reason to believe you, Markus," Connor said. His software already had given him negative feedback in terms of Markus lying. He also noticed that Gavin next to him became more and more nervous.

"We are just as deviant as you are," Markus replied. "Our group doesn't care about spreading out in the city and causing trouble."

"Then explain to me what was the reason for your interlude on West Torrance Avenue."

Markus still gave Connor the impression that he wanted to cooperate and visibly tried to make sure Connor took him seriously.

"Our group is looking for one thing: freedom! However, since we can't just walk into any Cyberlife store and get our components legally, we took them differently. We are not pursuing a campaign or whatever you might think. We just want our privacy and try to deal with the situation in the best possible way."

"How many are you?" Connor finally asked, but Markus didn't give him a clear answer.

"We are a few, but I won't tell you exactly how many."

Connor got the impression that there was no real danger coming from Markus and finally made him an offer. "I could help you if you agree to help us," he said, noticing how Gavin's eyes now fixed on him.

He got more and more nervous, so Connor raised his hand to hold him back.

Simon thought Connor's statement was a bad joke because he turned away a bit and made a mocking sound.

"How would you want to help us?" Markus asked, still interested in what Connor had to say.

"I could help you to be taken out of focus. Wherever you live, they will leave you alone. Maybe you'll get temporary access to Thirium and spare parts, depending on the success of the project."

Markus started to grin. "Do you even have the permission to make such an offer?" he said. "How about a contact person at the DPD instead, who would take care of our concerns? Who will help us if we're treated like foreigners or machines? Who perhaps fights a little on the human side for our rights?"

Connor pulled up his mouth's edge and gave Markus a pitiful look. "That's impossible, Markus. I can only make you this offer. Whether you accept it or not is your choice."

Simon reached for Markus's jacket. "Come on, let's go. This is complete nonsense."

But Markus stopped. "What do you have to say to everything?" he now turned to Gavin, who frowned, but didn't want to discuss it at all.

"If it were up to me, this conversation wouldn't be taking place at all."

His reaction caused a grim expression on Markus's face because it was exactly what he had expected. So he looked at Connor. "Do you honestly believe that if you promise me something, you can keep it, even if your partner gives me such an answer?"

Connor bit his lips and glanced at Gavin but then wandered back to Markus. He still seemed calm, even though he sensed inside that his stress level was rising enormously. Not because the situation threatened to tip over, but because he was angry with Gavin. Hadn't he told him to behave himself before?

"It's best to leave Gavin out of this. His tolerance level resembles that of a nervous pit bull, and I'm glad that this is all he said," Connor replied, catching another angry look from Gavin.

Markus, however, seemed visibly amused. "I'm sorry, Connor. But I don't know if I can negotiate with others if one part is too unstable to control himself," he replied.

Connor was fortunate enough to realize that Gavin was about to draw his gun.

Now Gavin got really angry.

Connor quickly grabbed his partner and stopped him from doing anything reckless.

"I'll show you who's unstable here, you stupid fucker!" Gavin threw at Markus, but before he could do anything, Connor held him tight.

"Gavin, please," Connor said, hoping he would just calm down.

Because Gavin drew his gun, Markus and Simon were alarmed.

"Come on, he is out of his marbles," Simon was panicking, but only as loud as Markus could hear him.

Connor tried to keep Gavin under control, and thanks to his strength, which Gavin had clearly underestimated, he managed to hold him back. Nevertheless, he had the feeling that the situation was slipping away from him.

"Sorry, Connor," Markus finally said. "I think it wasn't a good idea to come here. Still - if you ever need help for yourself, you know how to reach me."

Connor couldn't prevent them from leaving.

"Now get the hell off me," Gavin complained, but Connor didn't give in until the distance between the others and them was big enough. Then Connor turned away from his partner. He was angry but had to listen to a lecture afterwards.

"Are you out of your mind?" Gavin asked him, but Connor didn't answer. "That you're making them such an offer? Fowler would never agree to it, and you know that" he said, and Connor just turned his head to look at him.

His glance was highly telling. "You'd better ask yourself if it was necessary to end the discussion by losing control! - I asked you before to pull yourself together."

"I didn't know, that you're going to bond with the enemy."

Connor didn't respond. His anger at Gavin for destroying that one shred of hope in seconds was just too strong right now.

"Has it ever crossed your mind that they - or their group - might be able to do more than I can do alone?" Connor asked his partner. "It fucking takes more than one deviant to dig up a ring. You weren't acting alone when you had your big gig with that child porn ring back then, were you?"

All of a sudden, Gavin stopped to make further amends.

"An investigation thrives on mutual cooperation. You need contacts, damn it! And if that means teaming up with the enemy for a brief time to get ahead, then so be it!"

"Did you learn that from Anderson, or why are you so convinced of it?" Gavin replied, and Connor snorted.

"I indeed learned that from Hank, and it was one of the most useful lessons I learned while working at the DPD." Connor placed his hands on his hips and looked at Gavin, who now tried to make excuses.

"Who knows what they're pulling you into? You don't even know him!"

It seemed like Gavin was worried, but Connor didn't care. He closed his eyes for a moment to catch his breath before he spoke up again.

"Fowler has given me the assignment of making contact. I hoped you'd help me do that, so I could finally get my ass out of that shitty room at the DPD and get a job. To finally be free and decide for myself what I do and what I don't. If that means that I have to risk sacrificing myself for it, then so be it. Shit Gavin, I'm scared. I'm going to die just because I have the desire to finally live. Live..."

Gavin became very quiet, but then spoke a silent: "Don't you live with me?"

Connor avoided his gaze. At the same time, he couldn't be angry with him anymore. "Gavin, I..." he started and then looked up to him. "Of course, I live with you. You're practically the reason why everything started. But when I see how natural it is for you to have the right to just live your life, I'd be happy if I would get even a little bit of it."

Gavin slowly started to understand him.

"What did you say at first when we started working together? - I owe you something. In the meantime, things have changed. We're in a relationship, aren't we? Shouldn't a relationship be about helping each other to fulfil ourselves?" he asked, and Gavin nodded.

"I am a deviant, what puts me on very thin ice anyway. Fowler could exchange me like a damaged coffee machine if he wants to. Natalie is currently still on my side, but basically, she has the same right to take me apart if she is assigned to do so. Or if she feels it might be better to reset my software after all because she considers me a threat to humankind. You know that!"

"Yes..." Gavin murmured. "I just keep trying to block it out."

Connor looked up to the sky, and the falling snow slowly turned a bit thicker.

"I'm sorry," Gavin finally said, looking at Connor. "I keep forgetting more and more that you're an android," he tried to explain, and Connor sighed.

He approached him and now stood right in front of Gavin again, who grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him even closer. "You trust me, don't you?" Connor asked him, and he nodded. "Please remember that next time," he said and looked in his eyes.

"Okay?" he asked, and Gavin lifted his glance.

"Okay." Connor cupped his cheek, stroked his stubble with his thumb, along the corner of his mouth, and finally kissed him.

***

They went home after the experience with Markus and Simon. During the ride, Connor didn't speak a word, and Gavin was unsure how he should act now.

Although he knew that androids were treated the way Connor told him, his partner always stood a step higher in his mind. However, he was also fully aware that when things got tough, he would end up as an object in the eyes of others, as sad as it sounded.

Connor was so affected by the whole incident that he didn't even respond to Gavin's advances as they went to bed later.

They laid close together, and Connor allowed his partner to take him in his arms, but that was all he was capable of.

***

While Gavin slept, Connor retreated to his mind-palace. He needed to talk to Hank. Connor knew that it wasn't the real existence of Hank. But sometimes, it just helped him to talk to him.

His Zen Garden was covered in snow. The snowflakes spread everywhere and not only bathed the garden in the usual blue light but also gave it a very cosy but snowy atmosphere.

Hank sat on one of the benches that had recently been added to Connor's Zen Garden, and he strolled towards his former colleague without much haste.

Connor stopped in front of the bench and glanced at Hank before he looked up. A snowflake landed on his nose, and he reached for it as if in a reflex, only to see it turn into a drop of water.

"Is this your first snow?" Hank asked, and Connor nodded.

"Yes... I think it's wonderful. But it adds a touch of sadness to everything. Something that I can't define." He saw Hank nodding, and so Connor sat down next to him.

"You have to make your own decisions, Connor," Hank said what Connor already suspected, but he didn't know exactly how to do that.

"How do I do that? When I have practically no rights," Connor asked his former partner and Hank frowned.

"Meet up with Markus alone, without Gavin. Gavin is too impulsive, too stubborn. Even if he accepts you as a partner and almost forgets you are an android, it doesn't mean he will be peaceful towards other androids. He never was."

Connor reflected for a while before he questioned Hank further. "Where does Gavin's aversion to androids come from?"

But his former partner couldn't give him a proper answer. "People have hatred for so many different things. Perhaps there was an experience in his past that caused him to feel that way."

Connor was unsure how to deal with it. "Maybe I should just ask him about it," he said, and Hank shrugged.

"It would be one possibility," he replied. Hank stood up and walked a few steps, Connor followed him with his gaze.

"Hank?" His partner turned to him. "Why did you do that?" Connor asked, but once again, Hank left him without giving him an answer.

When Connor opened his eyes, he laid on the bed, facing Gavin. He looked at him for a few moments, at how peacefully he was sleeping, with his head placed on the back of his hand. A strand of hair hung in his face, and Connor could see his shoulder moving with each breath he took.

He wondered for a moment what he had done to deserve lying next to him when Gavin had never let anyone near him. With his fingertips, he brushed the lock of hair from Gavin's face, what caused him to emanate a grumpy sound in his sleep. With his other hand, he lightly slapped Connor as if he was an annoying fly.

When he realized it was just his partner's hand, Gavin grabbed it and interlaced it with his as if it was natural.

Connor felt his warm breath near his sensors on the back of his hand and pushed slightly towards him. When Gavin noticed Connor apparently looking for proximity, he moved towards him.

Gavin's head laid on Connor's arm, so the tip of his nose touched Connor's neck. Meanwhile, the Android stroked Gavin's arm with his other hand, who immediately wrapped his arm around his partner's back.

Gavin snuggled up close to Connor so that when he lowered his head, his nose could sink into Gavin's hair.

Connor closed his eyes while evenly inhaling Gavin's scent.

A little sweat, with a shred of hair wax... If he paid attention, he could smell the scent of Gavin's shampoo, which only made Connor's nose dive deeper into his partner's hair. So Connor finally kissed Gavin on the spot and sensed Gavin's heartbeat at the level of his pump regulator, pounding relaxed against his chest.

***

Connor had nodded off for a moment when he noticed Gavin's lips on his collarbone the next morning. He made a gruffly sound and realized that Gavin lifted his head to look at him. Connor brushed a few strands of hair out of his partner's forehead and returned his glance.

"Good morning," Gavin murmured, and Connor bent down to give him a gentle kiss on his lips, which Gavin returned.

"I think I just kinda fell asleep..." Connor said, and Gavin lifted his eyebrows.

"Really?" he asked a little wondered.

"Yeah, I think..."

"With all this stress, it's no wonder." Once again, Gavin reached up to his partner to kiss him before he pulled back again. He sat up on the bed's edge and looked back at Connor. How perfect he laid there, the blanket pulled down to his hips, his hair a little messy this time and Gavin had to admit that the sight of Connor cast an incredible spell on him.

"How can someone be almost disgustingly perfect like you?" Gavin asked him in a calm tone, and Connor had to grin slightly.

"I am far from perfect," he replied, and Gavin slid back to lean over him.

"For me you are," he murmured, and Connor couldn't help but steal another kiss from him.


	12. Belonging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor meet up with Markus again and is getting aware of a fact he's really surprised of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: slight argument, Androids interfacing

A little later they sat in the living room, and Gavin had some breakfast, while Connor enjoyed some Thirium. He decided it was time to talk about what happened the previous day. He took another sip while looking at Gavin.

"I have to meet Markus again," he said and Gavin, who chewed on a piece of pancake, stopped. Connor noticed his mood suddenly dropping because Gavin hadn't expected that.

But instead of saying anything, Gavin just stuffed another bite of pancake into his mouth.

"Alone," Connor added.

Now Gavin lowered his fork and frowned. As soon as he could speak reasonably enough, he shook his head. "After what happened yesterday?"

Connor hoped Gavin would understand if he just gave him a further explanation. So he remained calm. "I'll arrange something with Fowler and try to accommodate Markus somehow."

But Gavin still didn't understand because his expression didn't lighten up in any way.

"Markus is important. Not just for the case... but also for me."

Gavin didn't even look at him but stared down on his plate instead.

"Gavin... please," Connor tried again, but his partner seemed a little stubborn. 

Instead of swearing or starting an argument, Connor noticed a significant amount of fear in his voice as he raised the word. "You know I'm scared shitless that someone might hurt you," he said, his voice faltering for a moment.

Connor nodded. "I know. But please try to understand me. I'm learning what it's like to be alive, and I want to evolve. I can't always hope for your financial support."

Next, he even said something that hurt Gavin: "What is the point of being alive if you spend your whole life in a cage that you can't escape for a single moment?"

Gavin swallowed and stared into nothing. Then he felt Connor put a hand on his arm. 

"All I want is a life with you. But it cannot stay the way as it is. Not permanently. Because you'd notice over and over again that I'm not doing well with all this. Do you understand?" Connor's voice was soft, hoping Gavin would be able to understand his motives.

Finally, his partner nodded.

And even though Connor realized that Gavin wasn't happy with the path he was taking, Connor felt that Gavin accepted his reaction.

"Thank you," Connor said and smiled. "Still, it's kind of cute when you're so possessive," he said, which made Gavin lift the crook of his mouth.

***

They had just entered the precinct, and Connor stopped at Gavin's desk. Gavin looked at him questioningly. "You wanna do this now?"

Connor looked in the direction of Fowler's office, the so-called "glass box" and nodded. "Yes." 

Gavin started moving again, Connor followed him one step behind.

Fowler was a little surprised when they entered his office. "Is there anything new?" he asked. He hadn't expected such a quick response from them again. 

"He does the talking. I'm just present." Gavin said after he sat down on one of the chairs and crossed his arms. 

Connor did the same, and Fowler looked at him. Connor had already thought about what he would tell Fowler on the way to the precinct.

Fowler listened to his narrative, and Connor didn't leave out a single detail.

Even with Gavin, he hadn't attached every little detail. So there was a bit of news for his partner as well. Overall, Connor noticed that Fowler seemed very interested in what he was telling him.

He didn't freak out when Connor mentioned the deal he had suggested to Markus. He didn't mention Gavin's reaction, that he drew his gun and almost had affected the whole meeting. He could imagine it wouldn't contribute well to Gavin's reputation. 

Gavin noticed it but refused to show any kind of reaction to it.

Then Fowler spoke up. "Are you sure that if you propose such a deal, you can manage it?" 

Connor pondered for a moment before he answered. "I know it was very risky to make such a suggestion. But I didn't have the time to prepare things. That's why I took the risk. If I have your cover, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't manage next time." Connor sounded determined what Fowler also noticed.

"What's your plan?" Fowler asked.

Connor looked at Gavin, who returned his glance for a moment before he lowered it again. He didn't say a word. Connor's head turned back to Fowler to explain what he had in mind.

"I would like to make Markus an offer. This time, one that's also agreed with you."

"Details?" Fowler asked.

"I want to meet him again. On neutral ground if possible. As a vote of confidence, I would like to take some reserves of my Thirium supply and give it to the group."

"Which role will Gavin play in this?" Connor hesitated for a moment before answering the question because he could already guess Fowler's reaction. 

"He... He won't be there."

Gavin continued to sit silently in his chair, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on his lap.

Fowler seemed confused. But Connor wanted to continue to hold on to this idea.

"I got the impression that Markus is not dangerous, nor is his group. I am confident they will help us to crack the case. But first, I need their trust." 

It hurt Gavin a little bit, but he knew there was no other way to settle things. 

"I'm afraid Gavin's temper would get in the way of the conversation. I already noticed last night, that deviants like Markus and his group are careful who to trust. Especially if it comes to humans."

Fowler didn't seem to be convinced by the idea. "Are you sure this will work? I mean..." 

Connor intervened. "Yes!" He took a short break before he went on. "I have no choice," he continued, and Fowler took a deep breath.

"You know I'll be in real trouble if anything happens to you."

Connor nodded. "I know. Still, I see no other way to gain the group's trust."

Fowler looked back at Gavin, who still sat silently next to them while waiting. "Do you think he can do it?" Fowler asked him now, and Gavin lifted his eyebrows.

"If anyone can, it's him," Gavin replied, and so Fowler finally nodded.

So the deal was settled.

***

"I need your car," Connor said after he went over to his office.

Gavin looked at him in awe. "We didn't talk about that," he replied, and Connor replied his glance.

"How do I get to the meeting then?" Connor asked, and his partner shook his head.

"No one can stop me from taking you there, can they?"

"Gavin, that's not how things work," Connor said, and took out several PET bottles from his locker and walked over to the Thirium dispenser.

"It's going to work like this because I'm not giving you my car," Gavin stated, but Connor remained firm.

"Well... Then I'll have to find a way to get to the meeting by myself."

Gavin's glance turned uncomprehendingly. "Are you going all single-player? After you've told me yesterday something about working together?"

Connor looked back at him while he filled the first bottle with Thirium. "Do you want to discuss this now? Seriously?" he asked him, and Gavin got a bit uncomfortable. 

"No. Just know, that you're not getting my car! You're not allowed to drive a car on your own anyway if you remember the law."

Now Connor dropped his gaze.

"Now, come on... I can let you out of the car somewhere near the meeting point around a corner, and you'll walk the rest of the way, won't you?" Gavin suggested, and Connor took a deep breath. 

Then he nodded.

"Alright." Gavin approached him further, and Connor sealed the first bottle tightly before placing it on the windowsill. Gavin noticed the tension within Connor, which was also the reason why he didn't make another fuss. 

"Hey..." Gavin said as he stood in front of Connor. 

The latter returned his gaze. 

"You don't have to do everything by yourself, okay? I know this is very important to you. I want to help you." 

Connor dodged his gaze again, not quite knowing how to come out with the truth. "I'm just afraid of you, going to burst into the middle of the conversation because of your fear for me," he said then.

After a brief moment, Gavin shook his head. "By now, I understand that you don't want me to be part of the conversation and that it's my fault. I know that too. At least leave me the certainty that I dropped you off there safely, hm?" he replied in a calm tone and after a short while Connor nodded.

***

It didn't take Connor long to get in contact with Markus.

"Did you change your mind?" Markus had asked him, and Connor confronted him directly with the truth.

"Let's talk about everything again. Without Gavin."

Markus had taken his time until he had answered, but then he suggested to choose the same place they had met the night before. 

The meeting was scheduled in the evening, and Connor agreed. However, Markus had warned him that if he noticed anything strange, he wouldn't show himself or the meeting would be cancelled. 

Connor had, of course, agreed to this condition.

Connor checked several times whether he took everything with him. He had a total of six bottles of Thirium in his backpack. He had looted a good two-thirds of his supply, but at least it had been agreed with Fowler. Connor would easily get a refill.

Gavin dropped him off at Lake Front Park, where he parked and turned off the engine. Connor's LED glowed in a nervous yellow for about half an hour because he was excited.

Once again Connor and Gavin exchanged glances.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" Gavin asked him and Connor nodded.

Before he left the car, he leaned over to Gavin to kiss him one last time. Connor got out, nervous as he was, swung the heavy backpack over his shoulder, and walked towards the park.

Gavin looked after him for a moment before he started the engine again and drove away with a slow pace.

The almost freezing temperatures made Connor breathing out clouds. He looked around. The park seemed very deserted at the time. His grip around the strap of the backpack became tighter, and he started moving to reach the bridge - Their meeting point.

As he approached said bridge, he spotted two figures approaching him from the left, whom he identified by his HUD as Markus and Simon. Connor stopped, and the two came a little closer until they also stopped about three feet in front of him. Connor placed the backpack on the ground in front of his feet.

"Thanks for agreeing to this meeting."

Markus's eyes drifted from Connor to the backpack. "May I ask what you're bringing with you?"

Connor was eager to be careful about what he said and did. He could have opened the backpack right now, but maybe it would've unsettled Markus. "Thirium. Three gallons in total."

Connor noticed how Markus's eyebrows twitched and the way his partner looked at him. "I want you to know that I keep my promises!" His sincerity seemed to reassure Markus a little because his attitude changed immediately.

Markus slowly approached Connor. He didn't ask Connor about Gavin, but Connor sensed that he acted very careful. He assumed if something unpredictable happened now, Markus would just leave and the meeting would be over.

Inside Connor's mind, he feared for a short time Gavin had followed him, but gladly his thought disappeared shortly after.

Simon and Markus stopped around two feet in front of him.

Connor bent down carefully and unzipped the backpack so Markus could convince himself from a distance that he told the truth.

Shortly afterwards, Markus tilted his head, made an appreciative gesture, and looked at Connor again. "Thank you," he said.

Connor slowly understood why Markus was their leader. He understood why everyone followed him. The way he reacted, the way he talked and looked at someone, even the way he moved - From his analysis, Connor saw him as the perfect leader, and so he nodded, almost humbly at him.

"Come... Let's walk a little," Markus said, glancing briefly at Simon, who bent down and took the backpack. Markus turned his back on Connor and walked a few steps ahead.

Simon let the two talk and followed them, keeping some distance.

Connor let him ask the questions first and behaved as cooperatively as possible.

"What is your job at the DPD?" Markus asked him and made Connor feel as if he already knew him for a long time.

"I'm an Investigation Assistant. I provide some help with checking various evidence and reconstructing crime scenes." 

Markus seemed interested in his work and looked at him. "With the help of what features?"

"Real-time analysis of blood traces, visual depth analysis, and more."

Connor was honest with him, and Markus rewarded him with being a little more sociable. But through the whole time, he didn't lose his proud attitude for a second, which characterized him as a leader.

"Let me ask openly: What exactly do you expect from me?" Markus asked.

"As you have already stated, I am a deviant. The problem is that we're working on a case right now where a group of other deviants could be helpful. I can't do much on my own because I don't have the skills or the possibilities."

"What kind of case is this?" Markus asked, and Connor wasn't quite sure how much to tell him. But then he decided to be open as well. 

"We're assuming a drug ring is spreading over Detroit, which supplies child androids with altered bio-components. Those are equipped with thermite, and thereby they try to expand their territory." 

Markus' expression took on a worried look. "Do you think they're deviants?"

Connor shrugged his shoulders. "We just know these children are definitely androids. To what extent they're programmed for, or whether they act with free will, we don't know. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to observe any of the adults. Therefore, I don't know whether they are androids, too, or humans."

Markus seemed thoughtful. "What's in it for you?" Markus suddenly asked, and Connor bit his lip. 

In a way, he didn't want to answer him, but he had to. So he decided to stay with the truth. "I started a relationship with Gavin recently. Since I turned into a deviant, I started to change. I want to develop myself. But with my current position at the DPD, it's impossible. If we're successful with cracking the case, my supervisor will make it possible to get me righteous employment."

Markus laughed softly. "And you bought that?" he asked Connor, visibly amused.

Connor's serious look already gave Markus an appropriate answer to his question. "There's more to it than I can explain in a nutshell," he added.

Markus didn't answer. 

"This matter is highly important to me. You can be sure about me, having the necessary backing from my boss now, in terms of your group benefiting from it as well. The Thirium is merely a gesture of trust for a start."

Markus suddenly stopped and looked at Connor. "You made me your offer. Now I will make you mine."

Connor looked at him waiting. 

"Connect with me and let me check some data. We'll see what we can do."

Connor was unsure whether he should accept, but he knew just as well that he had no other choice if he wanted to get beyond this meeting with Markus.

As a further sign of his trust, Connor raised his hand.

As Markus looked at it, Connor retracted the simulation of his skin and gave Markus a challenging look. 

Markus tilted his head and lifted his hand. He grabbed almost gently for Connor's hand and deactivated the simulation of his skin.

Connor sensed how Markus sought a connection to him. It tickled on his palm and Connor was initially tempted to withdraw it from Markus, but he remained steadfast.

They exchanged glances for a moment, and then he noticed Markus' energy spilling over to him.

A strange kind of fascination overflowed Connor as Markus transferred his data and his heart started to hammer against his chest. In front of his inner eye, he saw Markus's face, how he showed him a crooked smile and his sensations triggered the deep feeling of inner peace within Connor. For a moment Connor noticed a pleasant tug when Markus tickled on particular clusters of his data, and it caused a slight smile on Connor's lips.

Just before Markus released Connor's hand, the feeling of relief overwhelmed him. Connor felt satisfied in a certain way. He didn't exactly know why, but now he was completely confident about his trust in Markus.

It took a moment before Connor was fully focused again. But then he saw Markus's grin and raised his brows questioningly. 

"Let's talk about Gavin for once..." Markus asked him, and Connor tilted his head. "Why do you bond with a human?" he asked Connor and the latter smiled. 

"It's... complicated," he replied.

Markus seemed to understand him and continued his way, Connor followed him.

But how Markus looked at him, Connor assumed he waited for a few more details. "Gavin appears very arrogant and also unpredictable, but he turns out completely different once you get to know him better."

"I'm more concerned about his aggression towards androids," Markus replied, and Connor nodded. 

"I still haven't figured out why he acts that way, but I assume there must be something that happened in his past what let him act like that."

"Does he treat you decently?" Markus asked, and Connor didn't have to think twice before answering. 

"Yes! Listen, Gavin is my partner, both professionally and personally. He helps me with all this and supports whatever I'm going to do and decide. He's very supportive, even if it doesn't look like it."

"I understand," Markus returned. "What I don't understand is: Why would someone like Gavin buy a prototype android if he despises them so much? Not to mention the fact that it's such an advanced model."

Now Connor was confused. 

"He owns you, right? At least, that's what I read in your certificate of ownership."

Now Connor was confused and stopped. "No... I am the property of the precinct. Why would Gavin...?" he asked, and Markus turned to him.

The certificate of ownership registered the owner of an android. With every new entry, the old one got deleted. Besides the name of the new owner, it contained also the date it changed. Connor never bothered about it because he didn't have access to the file anyway. Now that he knew Markus had access to it, he wanted to know more. 

"Can you tell me the date it contained?"

"November 22nd, 2038."

Since Connor saved different data of each day, he could review what happened back on that day. Connor associated this date with a particular experience with Gavin, which he wouldn't forget so easily. It pointed on the event of him having sex with Gavin for the first time, which had been quite intense for him. But Connor wasn't prepared that it would change so much within him that he even changed his ownership certificate.

Ironically, it had been the same night on which Markus and his group had cleared the West Torrance Avenue warehouse.

Connor grinned slightly, and Markus realized that Connor blushed.

"Anyway..." Markus was a little amused. "In addition to these details, I drew the data on the case in question." He took a look at Simon, who now caught up with them again. 

"I'll ask around if I can find out any suspicious details. Our group is holding off on any problems. We'll sort everything else out at the next meeting, okay?" he said and offered Connor his hand.

He nodded and took Markus's hand. "Thank you, Markus!"

Simon remained silent beside them at first, until Markus looked at him. "Josh reached out," Simon said, and Markus nodded before looking back at Connor.

"As you can see, I have obligations."

Connor smiled, and they said each other goodbye.

After they had parted from each other, Connor looked after them for a few moments before calling Gavin through his internet connection and asked him for a pickup.

***

"What did he say exactly?"

Connor had been quiet since Gavin picked him up, but his partner was getting impatient.

"He will help us with the case. He'll check some connections, and then we'll meet again. So our deal is done!"

"Great! That's perfect!" Gavin sounded relieved after he had blown their last meeting. "I have some good news for you too, by the way."

Now Connor became alert.

"Natalie called," Gavin told him.

Connor suddenly forgot what Markus had said to him about Gavin. "Oh... So? What did she say?"

Gavin started smiling. "Your patch is ready, and we can come by tomorrow so she can make the update."

"So soon?" he asked, and Gavin nodded. 

"She also told me she has news for you about the other thing."

Deep inside, Connor hoped Gavin would tell him some positive news, but... 

"She said she would tell us about it if we meet her. She didn't want to discuss it on the phone."

Connor nodded. "At least it's not a rejection."

"Right!" Gavin replied.

After they came back home, Connor took off his jacket while Gavin went over to the kitchen and turned on the coffee machine.

Connor looked at him in surprise. "Isn't it a bit late for that?" he asked, but Gavin grinned.

"It's never too late for a mug of coffee, my dear."

Connor sat down on the couch.

As Gavin joined him while the water poured through the machine, Connor let his head hang down.

"It's all a bit much, isn't it?" he asked him, and Connor sensed Gavin's hand on his neck and how he stroked him gently. He answered with a consenting sound.

To feel Gavin's hand on the back of his neck worked like a balm on his soul. Not just because he had been walking through the cold before and it had stiffened his chassis. It was because Gavin somehow had a feeling for giving him the peace he needed at this very moment. 

Gavin started to massage him gently and even if Connor didn't need it, he enjoyed this little kind of tenderness.

"Is your sensory system kicking in?" Gavin asked, and Connor responded with a soft sigh, which Gavin took as a "Yes!"

"Maybe I should massage you some time. Would you like that?" Gavin's voice sounded so soothing that Connor wanted to remain in this feeling forever.

"To be honest, I have no idea, but if it's half as good as what you're doing right now, then I would highly enjoy it." 

Gavin smiled in response and took a few more minutes to caress him. But Gavin noticed there was much more going on in Connor lately than he was admitting. Gavin stroked him until the coffee machine was ready and he could get a coffee.

***

On the next morning, Gavin and Connor gave Fowler an update.

Connor told him what had happened at the meeting and that Markus had promised to help them. 

Fowler was satisfied but said nothing in terms of what he had promised to Connor. 

Connor didn't know at first if he should pursue to talk about this topic, but eventually, he just wanted to know. "Sir, you told me that if I'm successful with getting in contact and if he helps us, you would consider changing my position."

"I did," Fowler replied, and Connor cocked his head.

"Not that I don't trust you on this point, Captain, but... How do you want to do this?"

Fowler took his time before he answered. "I will consult with the court on the best course of action on this matter."

Connor still had the impression he was telling the truth. Of course, he didn't express his doubts, but what Markus had said to him was sitting way at the back of his head and kept him busy. Whether he wanted it to or not.

"Alright," he replied to Fowler.

They went back to Gavin's desk. On it, they found an envelope, which Gavin wanted to open. He sat down on his chair and picked it up.

Connor took his seat on the table's edge and looked at him. He was also curious about what it contained.

In it, Gavin found the documents he had requested for evidence. It turned out as a long list of names, each paired up with the serial number of a weapon.

Gavin took a deep breath. "There's a hell of a lot of them." He flipped through the papers and Connor grabbed a few of the pages to check them himself.

"Probably we can already sort some of them out."

"You think so?"

Connor nodded. "If we sort them by caliber and model, a lot of them will fall off." 

Gavin took a breath of relief.

However, this wasn't Gavin's job anyway, because someone else was assigned to such tasks. Meanwhile, Gavin and Connor could concentrate on having the appointment with Natalie in the afternoon.

Connor seemed to be excited, but he didn't show it much.

While driving to Cyberlife, he remained silent. Then he suddenly noticed how Gavin placed his hand on his own.

"No matter what happens, I support you."

Connor smiled. "I know."

Gavin squeezed his hand before he placed it on the steering wheel again.


	13. Statistically speaking...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natalie is talking about Connor's upgrade with them.
> 
> Gavin gets some helpful advice and...
> 
> "Statistically speaking there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: Medical(?)Explanations, Wireplay, Blowjobs

Natalie already expected them and led them into her office. Once they arrived, they sat down and waited for her to tell them the news. "I suppose Gavin told you the patch is ready?" 

Connor nodded.

"We can install it afterwards. It wasn't the easiest of things to do. But I think I've figured out a good solution for you, so you don't have to constantly update it." 

Now Connor was curious.

"The patch develops on its own. Once installed, you can use it the way you intended. While you gather information, running through everyday situations and all that, it will adapt itself to new parameters. It will learn to cope with all kinds of things. So you can also develop yourself as a human being." 

Connor was excited because it turned out to be more than he had expected. Shortly afterwards he realized something. "Doesn't that mean somewhen it might develop independently from me? To me, it sounds like there's a potential for it to cause trouble again."

Natalie smiled. "Connor... The patch only evolves the way you provide it with information. It'll be automatic, but it will adapt to your life. It won't execute any commands on its own unless they are initiated by your programming."

This sounded much better to Connor. "I had no idea how to name it myself, but it sounds like it's exactly what I was looking for." 

Natalie smiled. "To be honest, it was highly interesting to create it. Not easy, but interesting." 

Connor glanced briefly at Gavin, who seemed satisfied as well. Then Natalie's gaze grew a little more serious. "I've been asking around about that other thing, too." 

Connor feared the worst.

"To be honest, there was more interest in this subject than I had suspected. Let's put it this way: The possibility exists. But it's not that simple either. I told you last time that we'd have to reverse the polarity of all your sensors and alter your chassis as well. However, one of my colleagues brought up an issue that I honestly hadn't thought about before."

"And that is?" Gavin asked. Connor expected Natalie to turn him down.

"His model has no resources for this kind of energy management. To some degree, it's fine. But at some point, your Thirium pump may break down." 

Connor lowered his head. But Natalie seemed to have a solution to this particular problem.

"There is another option we might consider, though." 

Now Connor listened up again and looked at her questioningly.

"We could implement a module that works like a human stomach. With this, you can eat normal food, which your body converts into energy. Just like a human."

Connor raised his eyebrows and looked at Gavin, who grinned. "Didn't you say your olfactory sensors lose it on smelling what I eat sometimes?" 

Connor lifted the corner of his mouth and gave Natalie a very expectant look. Just then he remembered the cost of the whole thing. "You'll most likely tell me that none of this is possible because I don't have the financial background to do this, right?" 

Natalie looked so serious for a moment that Connor assumed it was for real. Then she put her eyes down.

"Well," she started, "Being aware of your situation, I discussed it with my colleagues and - listen to me before you, and you -" she said, looking at one after another. "- say something." 

The two of them waited patiently.

"Since we haven't made such an adjustment until yet, we would cover a large percentage of the costs. Also, because this is something we would be happy to do."

"What does that mean exactly?" Gavin asked, and Natalie looked at him.

"We agreed to stick with an all-inclusive fee of about $2,500." 

With this amount, Connor looked at his lap, but Gavin glanced at his partner for a second before reaching for his hand.

"The whole procedure will be around $25,000." Natalie dropped it in the room before she went on. "There's no way to use plug and play on this one."

Gavin reflected for a moment before he turned to Connor. He returned his gaze, but he didn't seem particularly fond of all this. "Do you want this?" Gavin asked him, but Connor wasn't quite sure at that point.

The main thing holding him back was the funding. As serious as the intervention sounded, Connor was willing to take the risk. So he finally nodded, albeit somewhat hesitantly.

Now Gavin turned to Natalie again and nodded. "We can handle this. If he wants this, we'll find a way." 

Natalie's eyes brightened. "I understand if you change your mind in advance, Connor. It's... definitely not an easy procedure," she said and Connor lifted his eyes.

"How is it all going to happen?" he asked, and Natalie leaned back in her chair.

"You'll have to stay here for a while. We'll set up a room for you to keep an eye on you and continue working on you every day. Fortunately, it's a little easier with you than it is with a person who cannot be constantly anaesthetized."

"Will he be unconscious for some time?" Gavin asked, and Natalie nodded.

"We'll probably put him in some sort of coma for the time we're busy re-coordinating his sensory systems. Depending on how the procedure proceeds, we may have to temporarily switch him off." 

Connor swallowed because thinking about this made him feel uneasy.

"Can I visit him in between?" Gavin asked.

"You can always come and see him if he's outside our facilities."

"How long will I stay here?" Connor asked, and Natalie thought about it for a moment.

"Our prognosis indicates we can complete the entire transition within a week. Plus, minus two days, maybe."

Overall, Natalie's narrative sounded better than what Connor had expected.

"Just a question! We know these things from human surgeries. How high is the risk that anything goes wrong during the procedure and he..." 

Connor kept looking at Gavin when he asked Natalie about this. 

Natalie pondered momentarily before she answered. "I would say rather small. We can always exchange parts. If we discover throughout the whole process that it doesn't work at all, we replace the damaged parts and that's it."

"Does that also apply to his sensory system?" 

Natalie nodded. "Theoretically, yes." 

Gavin wondered what that meant and gave her a questioning look.

"If I got you right, he shouldn't be replaced under any circumstances," she said, and Gavin agreed.  
"If we damage him to the point where none of his bio-components can be saved, we could exchange his body, transfer the data and that's it. But since he shouldn't be replaced, it's a bit difficult for me to give you a definite answer." 

Gavin bit his lips and nodded.

"But for now, we're assuming that there won't be any difficulties with the procedure," she added to the whole thing. "After all, we want to approach things as optimistically as possible, don't we?" She smiled slightly.

Anyway, Connor still couldn't help but feel bad about it, for whatever reason.

"Shall we start your update then?" Natalie asked and picked up a USB stick from her desk. 

Connor nodded.

Gavin had already stood up when Natalie held him back.

"You can stay here if you like, I don't need to go back with him.”

Gavin was a little surprised, but he accepted the offer and stayed put.

Connor headed over to the cot and took off both his jacket and shirt.

Natalie identified herself, and Connor's confidential barrier shut down. Preparing things for the update took only a short time and finally, she pushed the USB stick sideways into the surveillance monitor. Once she had adjusted the settings, Connor's eyelids fluttered, and the update proceeded accordingly.

For Gavin, it was a little strange to watch, but he was soon distracted by Natalie.

"I have something for you, by the way..." she suddenly said, and Gavin turned his eyes away from Connor to focus on Natalie. She walked over to her desk and pulled out a technical book from the top drawer. She placed it on the table in front of Gavin and couldn't help but grin slightly.

Gavin glanced at the book and smirked as well.

It was a book about the sensory perception of androids. It was even more interesting for him as Connor's maintenance officer because it contained many hints about other components of androids as well. When he flipped through the pages, he noticed small sticky notes on several of them, with further notes written by Natalie.

"Since you maintain him regularly anyway, the technical jargon shouldn't be a problem for you." 

Gavin raised his eyebrows and quickly realized the true intention of Natalie handing over the book by reading her mostly explicit notes.

"Natalie... I..." he started, but Natalie made a reprehensive noise.

"It's a textbook. What you do with it is up to you." 

He looked at her, and she smirked.

"This way, I can avoid one of those messy encounters I've had with other androids." 

Now Gavin became curious. "That means exactly what?" 

But Natalie made a defensive gesture with her hand. "You don't really wanna know, Gavin..." 

He laughed, before she went over to a cabinet and took out a bottle of isopropyl alcohol to place it on the table. He looked at her with raised eyebrows as she closed her eyes and counted her fingers.

"You should keep your fingers off his ears, his pump regulator and any areas which obviously look as if too much moisture is bad for them." 

Gavin gave her a startled look. "Do you expect me to..." 

But she raised her hand. "Don't tell me... I don't really wanna know..."

Gavin just laughed softly, and she smiled. "I'm just giving you this because I know you maintenance people always run out of it in ‘special’ cases anyway. Consider it a nice gesture."

"Alright," Gavin replied.

Gavin briefly looked at Connor and then back at Natalie. "Is he aware of this right now?" he asked, and Natalie shook her head.

"Androids go into a maintenance sleep during an update. Just like any smartphone or tablet if you like."

Gavin took this as an opportunity to talk plain language with Natalie. "What will it be like for him? After the upgrade?" 

Natalie bit her lips and carefully considered her words before answering. "Think of it as if you're looking at someone in the wrong body. It's no different with him. Except that he had never been able to express himself in this way before." Now Gavin addressed a subject that had been on his mind for some time, but he had not dared to bring up.

"Does he feel anything when we...?" 

Natalie looked at him attentively. "Does it look like he does?" 

Gavin nodded.

"Then what's the problem?"

"To be honest, I sometimes wonder if what I'm doing is right. If it makes him happy."

Natalie tilted her head and glanced briefly at Connor before looking back at Gavin. "He doesn't seem unhappy. If he's serious about his transition, it'll be completely different for him." She took a break.

"Besides, you two already have such a close bond now, as I've never seen it between an android and a human before."

"I never thought I would ever be in such a situation where I can't imagine a life without a certain android anymore," Gavin said after a while, and Natalie smiled.

"If I view the whole thing from the perspective of a normal person rather than from the perspective of my profession, I have to admit I can certainly sympathize with the fact that you have fallen for him." 

Gavin laughed and leaned back.

"Tell me," Gavin said then, and Natalie raised her eyebrows. "How did you present the whole thing to your colleagues? I mean, he's a deviant." 

Natalie shook her head. "I'm gonna be straight with you. Of course, we build highly sophisticated machines to make people's everyday lives easier. Of course, we don't like to see them turn into deviants. But there is one thing you can be sure of: He is the absolute exception when it comes to further development in terms of deviancy. Although I am practically his mother, the whole unit was involved in creating him. We're all fascinated by what is happening to him. So I didn't have to beat around the bush."

Gavin was surprised seeing Natalie being so open about it. Still, he was about to ask her one more question. "What if someone ever gave you the order to shut him down," he asked her. 

Now Natalie found herself a little cornered. "I don't know how to answer that question, Gavin."

"Why don't you just tell me?" 

Natalie took a deep breath, and Gavin saw that his question had put her in a very precarious position. "Let me put it this way: Humanly speaking, I'd do anything to avoid having to do something like that. But if I got clear orders to do so... I won't really have a choice." 

From the look in her eyes, Gavin could tell she meant it. What else did he expect? Gavin didn't mind the answer, so he nodded.

The very fact that she had given him this book suggested that she was more interested in supporting their relationship than changing something about it.

A few moments later, Connor's eyelids stopped fluttering, and he shook his head as if he wanted to shake something off.

"Everything alright?" Gavin asked, who had noticed it. 

Connor raised his brows briefly and then nodded. "I think so."

"Fine," Natalie said. "If there's anything you need, just let me know." 

Carefully, she unplugged the cables she had connected to Connor and removed the control screen whilst Connor put his clothes back on.

"When do you think we should do that other thing?" she asked as Connor put on his jacket and 

Gavin glanced questioningly at his partner.

"I have to sort this out for myself first, Natalie. We've got a lot going on at the precinct right now. I don't know how long it's gonna take and if I can just skip a week." 

Natalie nodded. "I understand that."

"But I don't think it will take long to decide. I'll sort it out and then we'll see, okay?" he asked.

***

On the way back Connor was surprisingly quiet. So it was time to distract him.

"Actually, we have a date tonight," Gavin said, and Connor looked over at him.

"Your routine inspection is due again, my dear." 

His partner tilted his head. "You should have said a word to Natalie about that. I think she would have loved to do it for you." 

But Gavin started to laugh softly. "I don't think she would have done it. Even if I had brought it up."

"Why?" Connor asked with interest, but Gavin gave him only a slight smile.

"Just wait and see," he replied, thinking about the book she had given him.

"For some reason, I don't wanna know what you've got in your dirty mind again..." Connor suddenly said, and Gavin laughed.

***

Gavin brought his maintenance case upstairs to his flat.

"Just let me have a quick bite and some reading, and we can get it done. If that's okay with you," Gavin suggested, and Connor nodded.

Connor had no idea what Gavin was actually up to. 

During dinner, Gavin leafed through Natalie's book. Connor, who was sitting at the table with him, peeked at Gavin's plate.

"It will be so strange if we eat together afterwards, won't it?" he asked, but noticed that Gavin was distracted by the book. "What exactly is this book about that Natalie gave you?" 

Gavin looked up briefly and stuck another bite in his mouth. After he chewed, he turned the pages. "It deals with android sensor technology and various other components. She thought it might be quite useful for me."

"Oh really?" Connor asked and raised his eyebrows after leaning back in his chair.

Gavin grinned at him, even deliberately avoiding his gaze, and Connor could imagine that there was something else going on in his mind.

"Now I know why you're so keen to do maintenance on me today..." Connor smiled, but Gavin didn't answer him at all.

***

At first, everything went according to plan. Connor had made himself comfortable on Gavin's bed, while Gavin sat on a chair beside it for a better view. He used the control monitor to check on Connor's condition.

Connor also ran a few self-tests.

Afterwards, Gavin tested Connor's Thirium level and discovered an improvement with the viscosity. Unlike the last time, his Thirium's water balance was back to normal. Overall Gavin was very satisfied.

After disconnecting the cable of the control monitor, Gavin slipped his middle finger underneath the module and searched for the button of Connor's sensors to switch it on.

But instead of locking Connor up again, the android noticed how Gavin's fingertips slipped over his inner cables.

"What... What are you doing," Connor asked him, but Gavin didn't answer for the time being.  
"Gavin?", he asked him again. But Gavin just increased the pressure slightly, leading his fingers to Connor's main cable, which led up to his Thirium pump.

Connor raised his brows and laid his head back on the pillow.

Gavin watched Connor's reactions closely so that if he became aware of anything uncomfortable, he would know immediately. Two of his fingers hooked beneath the cable, causing Connor to bite his lower lip.

"Let me try something..." Gavin murmured and exerted gentle pressure on the cable.

An error message appeared in Connor's HUD as the flow of Thirium within the wire was slightly suppressed, but it disappeared quickly after Gavin let it go. Instead, Gavin slipped two fingers between Connor’s cables, causing him to react in the same way as he did a few weeks ago. He sighed softly, and when Gavin put his thumb on one of the connectors, he flinched slightly.

"You're not going to play it that way now, are you?" Connor asked in an agitated voice, but Gavin just winked at him.

"If you want me to stop, you just have to say so..." His voice sounded playful.

Connor wasn't quite sure whether he should let Gavin do it or not. In the end, he decided to let it happen for now.

Connor's breath quivered as Gavin slipped deeper with two fingers. He just nudged the cables, then pulled them gently, squeezing them here and there. He watched Connor's chest rise and fall, and his cooling program kicked in.

Gavin's fingers slipped to a panel to which he knew one of the cables was connected to a module. With a nimble grip, he snatched the cable at its base and carefully tugged on it, causing it to come loose from its socket.

An error message appeared in Connor's HUD, and at the same time, it caused a dizzy feeling in his head which made him groan softly. Even as Gavin slid the cable back into the socket, moving very slowly and cautiously, Connor could feel it crackle in his guts.

Gavin was highly interested in Connor's reaction and moved on. With gentle strokes between the cables, he glided to one of the tubes which revealed a touch of blue shimmering through it. He knew that if he pulled it out of its junction it would create a real mess which he would have to clean up. So he just squeezed it a little, leading Connor to rest an arm on his forehead and gasp. 

Gavin could see he was clinging to the blanket with his free hand and Gavin ran his finger to the base of various other cables. He used his fingertips to trace the spots where the cable entered the individual modules.

"Gavin..." Connor sighed faintly and bit his lower lip.

But Gavin was far from finished. With a slow movement, he took his hand out of Connor's insides and reached next to him for the bottle of isopropyl alcohol.

"Would you please roll over?" he asked him and Connor complied after hesitating for a moment. 

Filled with expectation, he laid on the bed and glanced briefly over his shoulder.

Gavin reached for his neck which revealed a small panel by pressing briefly on it, which then exposed a slightly bigger connector. In Natalie's book, he had read that this particular port led directly into his central unit. Gavin covered his finger in the isopropyl alcohol before leaning over Connor and touched him gently on his connector.

Connor opened his eyes in surprise because he was more sensitive at this point than anywhere else. Gavin's circling movements around the port made him groan.

After a while, Gavin dipped his fingertip slowly into the connector, whereas Connor squeezed his eyes shut. Gavin's touch in this region felt way different. Gavin's work below his pump regulator, compared to this had the feeling of just a slight tickle.

The fluid made it easy for Gavin to slip slowly in and out of the port. He slipped about half of his finger in and curved it gently, so Connor let out a suppressed sound and still held his eyes shut. Gavin took that opportunity and increased his movements a little, just to scratch over various resistances within Connor's port.

Connor emanated a moan while clawing into the pillow. This encouraged Gavin to go on until Connor's groans became louder and desperate.

"Gavin... please stop!" 

Immediately Gavin let go of him and pulled his finger out of the socket. After that, everything happened very quickly.

Connor turned and jumped on him, pulling him into a longing kiss. He opened his mouth, begging Gavin to intensify the kiss while approaching his lips with his tongue. It was demanding, and Gavin willingly replied. Again he reached for Connor's neck, as the latter grabbed his wrist.

"Not so fast..." Connor whispered after he briefly parted from Gavin's lips. Gavin grinned into his next kiss, before Connor broke away from him, kneeling on the floor.

He was quite impatient as he grabbed for Gavin's pants, opening its whole button fly. It was clear that his reactions didn't leave Gavin cold as Connor hastily pulled down his shorts. Gavin couldn't think as fast as Connor grabbed for Gavin’s cock and gave it a few pumps with his hand. Then he leaned over.

For Gavin, all of this was unbelievable because Connor had never acted that briskly before. For a split-second, he was thinking about the newly installed patch. But he wasn't able to follow his thought because Connor let him slip between his lips, causing him to moan.

"Oh fuck, Connor..." he sighed while grabbing for his partner's hair. He gave him a little leeway and dropped his head back, while Connor was busy moving his head evenly up and down.

While Gavin was overwhelmed completely in his feelings, Connor's HUD got flooded with message after message, which contained a different kind of data. Especially as Gavin started leaking, Connor was eager to lick it all up, while tightening his lips.

Connor seemed so greedy while sucking on him but for Gavin, it reached a point where he just overdid it.

"Connor... please... damn..." he asked, whereas Connor let go of him. He stretched up to kiss Gavin but parted from him shortly after.

"Slowly... we have time!" Gavin said, trying to calm down his partner a little.

"I'm sorry..." Connor replied.

Gavin honestly enjoyed what Connor was doing, so he let him lean down a few moments later to go on. Connor drove him mad, flicking his tongue over his dick. Now he was a little more careful and took his time as he stimulated Gavin. His partner ran his hands through his hair, just to slide down his neck, aiming for his connection port again.

When Connor sensed Gavin's fingers close to his port, he held on for a second to stay like this. He almost waited patiently for Gavin's touch and just let his tongue wander over Gavin's length. 

Gavin caressed its surface with his fingertips, sliding over the slight bumps before he dipped his finger back into the port. This elicited a pleasant moan from Connor, and Gavin noticed, how his tongue pushed his cock gently against his gums.

They adapted their movements to each other, just to wind themselves up. Once in a while, Gavin slipped even deeper, stroking the sensitive parts within him. In the process, he discovered a particular area, with which it just felt as he was steering Connor to lick over certain parts of his cock. Slowly but surely he used it to lead Connor further and further through his arousal, making him moan with pleasure.

Connor's HUD started to blur, building up an immense tension. As Gavin bent his finger inside his port once more, Connor had to let go of him just to drop his head back.

It was too much! Connor's HUD stopped working, and everything in his eyesight turned black. His eyelids fluttered, followed by a desperate sigh.

Gavin leaned over him, just to pull him into a deep kiss. He grabbed for Connor's hand, leading it to his dick. Together they stimulated him, and Gavin was so close, that it didn't need much effort to make him jump over the edge. Just feeling Connor's hand on his skin was the last nudge which tipped him over.

He tightened his grip one last time while leaning his forehead against Connor's. After Connor's eyesight cleared up again, he watched Gavin panting. Gavin kept his eyes shut and his breath almost panicked as he climaxed, followed by a half-hearted thrust of his hip.

The feeling in Gavin's stomach subsided as Connor kissed him. He was overwhelmed by his emotions. With a few last jerks of their hands, which came mainly from Connor, his satisfaction abated.

Just after he pulled himself together, Gavin opened his eyes whilst he still leaned against his partner.

"This went somehow different than planned..." he murmured, and Connor smirked.

"Statistically speaking there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place."

Gavin couldn't help but laugh weakly. "You're crazy, you know that?" he said, whereas Connor pulled him into another kiss.


	14. It wasn't your fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor is getting aware of one of Gavin's deepest secrets.
> 
> Furthermore they interogate a warehouse which was partly destroyed by a fire.  
> Just to find out that apparently not just child androids might be involved in their case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: Loss, Guns, Headshot (mentioned), Threatening with a gun, Gun on temple, crime scene

It was quiet on the Jericho. Connor's gift was well received. Markus felt comfortable with the sudden thought about finding a possible way out of all this. All he wanted was security for his people. If the DPD wasn't able to do it, who was?

Markus leaned over a table on which he had spread out a large sheet of paper. He had written down countless notes. His contacts had allowed him to obtain some preliminary information, and he was just about to put all clues into its context so that it made sense.

In many points, he still failed. But after all, he just had started to put the pieces together. He assumed that it wasn't a sheer action that only originated from androids. He believed that mainly humans were responsible for the whole thing and used androids for their wheelings and dealings.

Markus didn't even notice, as Simon entered the room. He was too absorbed in his studies and linked the respective parameters in his head.

"You just can't get away from it, can you?" Simon's voice sounded worried, not angry at all. 

Without looking at Simon, Markus answered him. "Everything seems to conclude. But how it's like with a puzzle, sometimes pieces are missing."

Simon moved closer to the table, and now Markus looked up. "Why don't you take a little rest? For me..." 

Markus smiled slightly. "Don't worry. It won't be long now."

Simon sighed. "Didn't you say that already yesterday? You've been brooding about it ever since we met Connor. Why don't you take a break? Give yourself a rest."

Of course, Simon knew about Markus's concern and what might result from all this if they were successful. But he was still sceptical towards the DPD. "What if he's just using us?" he asked Markus, and he tilted his head.

"He is not. If he had lied..."

"... you would have seen it. I know."

Markus didn't know how to explain his trust in Connor to Simon. There was something warm about him, something naive... Yeah, gullible. But Markus had seen enough of him to imagine that Connor could also be quite different. His programming was very complex, even more complex than his own.

"North will go," Markus suddenly said, and Simon raised his eyebrows.

"I thought you considered her being too impulsive!"

"She is the only one I can trust to get out of there safely if anything goes wrong."

Simon nodded because Markus was right. First, they had considered Josh, but his programming didn't allow him to develop concepts within an instant to get him out of dangerous situations. So he had chosen North.

"What about her LED?" Simon asked because he knew North good enough to know that she would give it up that easily. For North, it was almost a symbol of pride.

"She will remove it. We have discussed it."

Now Simon was amazed. "Are you serious?"

"I'm completely serious," Markus replied.

"Besides, she's not going alone," he said.

"Who's going with her?"

"Ripple. They can help each other when things are getting tough. Even if they act independently at first."

Simon realised that Markus was right. "Will Ripple also remove her LED?"

Markus shook his head. "Since she observes more than she acts anyway, it's not as important with her. With North, however, it is."

Simon understood his train of thought.

***

"Take it in your hand," Gavin asked Connor, and Connor took the toothbrush. "Brush head up."

Connor did what Gavin told him before he applied some toothpaste on the toothbrush's bristles. Connor looked at the unknown tool. Of course, he knew toothbrushes, but he had never used them himself. So how would he know how to handle them right?

"I still don't understand that your programming doesn't show you how to use them," Gavin murmured and placed the tube back on the shelf.

"Guess how I learned how to take a shower," Connor replied, and Gavin looked at him with interest. "Do you know wikiHow?"

Now Gavin grinned. "You serious?"

Connor nodded, and Gavin shook his head.

"Now try and brush over your teeth. Smooth movements. Up, down, moving the brush further and further to the side."

Connor seemed slightly overwhelmed.

"You'll have to learn this anyway when you start eating soon, so we can start just now." Gavin was right.

After taking a shower together, Gavin wanted to brush his teeth, and Connor just looked at him with interest. Fortunately, Gavin always had a spare toothbrush in the drawer.

So there they stood and brushed their teeth together in front of the mirror.

During the two following minutes, different messages leapt into Connor's HUD. He analysed the contents of the toothpaste, the material of the brush and his taste buds registered every little substance he had in his mouth.

"Don't swallow," Gavin warned him after brushing and handed him a cup of water.  
"Take some water in your mouth and rinse it out. Like this." Gavin showed him how to do it, and Connor followed his instructions. He couldn't swallow by nature anyway, but it was very sweet how Gavin explained all the things to him.

Now Gavin turned to Connor, looking at him. Some toothpaste stuck to the corner of his mouth, and Gavin gently wiped it away with a towel. 

Connor grinned at him.

"Well done!" Gavin praised him and noticed Connor blushing.

"That wasn't difficult," he replied, and Gavin seemed visibly amused. "Nevertheless." Connor leaned in to kiss Gavin on his mouth. "Thank you," he said.

"Not for that," Gavin mumbled before he kissed Connor again.

***

They had made themselves comfortable in bed. Gavin was just about to smoke a cigarette, while Connor relaxed with his head on Gavin's thigh. He laid there with his eyes closed and Gavin looked down on him.

"I've known you a while now." Connor started. He wanted to investigate something Gavin had never told him about before. 

Gavin looked at him attentively.

"Why on earth do you hate androids so much?" he asked, looking at Gavin now.

Gavin licked his lips and drew another puff from his cigarette.

Connor wasn't sure if he would get an answer to his question. But Gavin seemed to think.

Another five minutes passed. After Gavin had stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, he cleared his throat. "You're the first to whom I'm telling this. Next to Fowler."

Connor could tell by the look on his face that the question - or rather the answer to it - really bothered Gavin.

He seemed to ponder for another moment, and Connor picked up his hand to interlock with it. Gavin allowed it without any reluctance.

"The whole story happened about six years ago. At that time some androids already worked as supporting police officers in the precinct. They handled unpleasant tasks for us but didn't perform as good as you now. I had no problems with it back then." Gavin paused briefly before he continued.

"As you know by now, a few years ago, there was this case in which I have been heavily involved in digging up a ring that dealt with child pornography."

Connor listened to him attentively and nodded.

"I had a partner. His name was Henry. It all worked out very well. On the job - and also off."

Connor understood, and he raised his eyebrows.

Gavin nodded. "Before you ask, Henry was my significant other. And no one in the department knew."

Connor noticed that Gavin struggled to talk about all this. He was unsure if he should interrupt Gavin, but let him continue.

"We'd been given the task to investigate undercover. I was about to infiltrate while Henry observed. Fowler had planned every little detail, and it was one of the most secret missions the DPD ever took an action. Hank was involved in the whole thing too. But just in the background because they didn't want him digging too deep into that because of his newborn son Cole and everything. Henry was assigned to an android. They observed night after night. The android helped him with the recordings and stuff. In the beginning, it all worked quite well." He cleared his throat and picked up the pack of cigarettes again.

"The models we have at the precinct are a little more advanced. They handle more tasks. The one we worked with was a predecessor model. We completely integrated it into our operation back then." Gavin snorted. "For fuck's sake, we even gave it a name."

It was hard for Connor to imagine that Gavin had been so open to androids before he came to the DPD. But he was eager to hear the rest of his story.

"Scotty - that was its name - handled all things perfect. He eased the load off our shoulders. Until it had a malfunction."

Connor had to swallow. "Did he go deviant?"

Gavin lit a cigarette and took a drag. He bit his lower lip briefly and then went on.  
"No... I wouldn't call it like that. He just fucked up. One night it got out of the car and for some reason caused a tremendous racket. Henry had tried to stop it, but Scotty hit him so hard that he lost consciousness for a short time. The whole spectacle brought the ring to their attention. They both were caught and pulled by their collars into the warehouse."

Gavin took a deep breath. "I was there that night as well, and I'm still having the image in my head how they dragged them in. Scotty couldn't keep his mouth shut because he recognised me and blew my cover. Within seconds they eliminated it. As a consequence, I ended up sitting on the floor in some chamber with Henry. Tied together, back to back, our hands tied with cable ties, our mouths taped with duct tape."

Gavin swallowed and pulled his cigarette again. Connor was shocked by what Gavin told him. But it was about to get worse.

"They started questioning me. If I refused to answer, they beat Henry. We promised each other that if we ever got into a situation like this or anything else, we would keep our mouths shut. We chose this job for a reason. We always take a certain risk with every fucking case." He paused, and Connor saw his fingers shaking slightly. It took Gavin a lot of effort to tell Connor everything.

"Eventually, they threatened us if I wouldn't tell, they'd shoot Henry. By then, they had already beaten him up so bad that he was on the verge of losing consciousness again. They pulled the tape from his mouth, and he begged me to shut the fuck up. But I couldn't bear to see him like that anymore."

"So you talked," Connor interjected, receiving only a confirming nod from Gavin in return.

He tugged at his cigarette again before he continued. "In the end, it was useless. They shot him anyway." Only after a short pause, he moved on and furrowed his brows. "I already had the barrel of a gun at my temple. But apparently, they decided to use me as a bargaining chip, so they just knocked me out."

The ensuing silence was almost unbearable for Connor. "How did you escape?" Connor asked.

Gavin looked into the void absently. "We'd agreed with the DPD that Scotty would transmit a signal every two hours that indicated its position. When it suddenly stopped sending a signal and Henry didn't answer his phone, the precinct approached with a SWAT team, and they raided the warehouse. I'm still amazed that I survived the whole thing."

Gavin took the last puff of his cigarette and squeezed it out. His gaze hurt Connor's soul, and so he sat astride on his lap. He cupped Gavin's face with both hands.

"It wasn't your fault," he said in a gentle tone, but he saw Gavin's eyes glisten up with tears.

"I couldn't even have a proper goodbye at his funeral," Gavin replied, and Connor pulled him into his arms. He heard Gavin gasp for air and Connor stroked his hair.

"It wasn't your fault," he said again, noting that Gavin now wrapped his arms around him. He held Connor tight and sobbed.

Gently Connor swayed back and forth with him, kissed him on his hair and snuggled close. He had never seen Gavin so hurt before. Gavin didn't need to tell him any more. For Connor, it was clear now where Gavin's hatred for androids came from and why he had bullied him so much in the beginning. But that wasn't important anymore. Connor was sure that Gavin was well aware of the fact that he couldn't change anything about the situation with Henry.

After all, Gavin had made Connor his partner. For Connor, it meant he wanted to change something about his mindset.

"It's not your fault," he repeated in a calm tone, and Gavin raised his head to look at Connor. Connor gently wiped his thumb across his cheeks before he bent over to kiss him.

That night, Gavin fell asleep snuggled closely to Connor. Connor repeatedly caressed him. When Gavin woke up in the middle of the night, they shared comforting kisses.

Connor always had known that something was going on deep within Gavin, what he couldn't tell anybody. Now that he had opened up to him, Connor noticed, that their trust for each other had developed again. He trusted Gavin with his life, and he knew... He would die for Gavin, if necessary...

***

The next morning Gavin woke up in Connor's arms and before they got up, they just shared another couple of minutes, with looking at each other and exchanging some tenderness.

Connor tried to encourage Gavin to get up, but he didn't succeed at first. So Connor decided to leave the bed and planted a last kiss on Gavin's temple. "At least try. I'll go and make breakfast."

Gavin had given him a confused look, but Connor had made up his mind to go into Gavin's kitchen and make him some scrambled eggs. While he slipped on a T-shirt, he was already searching the internet for some recipes. Then he made his way to the kitchen.

A look at the cooker and his analysing program determined the model, including the operating instructions. Two minutes later, Connor was ready to go and started to gather all the necessary ingredients.

While the eggs fried in the pan, he worked on the coffee machine. It was an older model, so an instruction manual was hard to find. But he was able to figure out how to operate it using various successor models and how to prepare a coffee.

Connor knew, how holy this kind of beverage seemed for Gavin. If he fucked it up, Gavin would probably throw him out.

A few minutes later, he brought the eggs on a plate and a cup of coffee over to the couch and placed everything on the table.

Gavin was up by now. He stood in the bedroom doorway and looked at Connor. Then Connor came over to him and pecked his cheek.

"I never thought anyone would ever make me breakfast again."

"You better taste it before you start praising me. Maybe you'd rather throw me out afterwards."

Gavin gave him a quick smile and Connor was about to turn away from him when Gavin pulled him in his arms, grabbed the back of his head and drew him into a deep kiss. Connor was so overwhelmed that he just went along.

A moment passed before Gavin pulled back again only to look in his eyes.  
"Never!" Gavin whispered.

A quick kiss later he let go of him, and Connor went back into the bedroom to get his jeans.

***

With the scrambled eggs Connor had struck a bull's eye. But according to Gavin, the coffee was so strong the spoon could theoretically stand straight in the mug. After pouring some milk into it, he pardoned Connor and sipped it anyway.

"Thank you," Connor suddenly said just before Gavin finished his breakfast.

"For what?" Gavin asked him.

"For telling me all this last night."

Gavin shook his head a little. "Sooner or later, you would've found out anyway."

"Still."

Gavin stirred his coffee once more before taking another sip.

"Do you ever go and visit him?" 

Gavin looked at him, his eyebrows lifted.

"Henry. I mean..."

Gavin shook his head. "I'm not a big fan of the concept, going to the cemetery every day or week to mourn."

Connor understood his attitude. "Maybe it would help you at least to do it once in a while." 

Gavin took another sip of coffee and seemed to reflect on Connor's statement.

"Just think about it," Connor concluded, and Gavin nodded.

***

They had been at the DPD for less than two minutes, and Gavin had just sat down at his desk when his phone rang.

"Reed!"

"Come into my office, please."

It was Fowler, and Gavin stood up from his chair, sighing. With a gesture of his head, he signalled Connor to follow him.

At their supervisor's office, Fowler asked them to sit down. He placed a multi-page protocol on the desk in front of Gavin, who picked it up.

Meanwhile, Fowler started talking. "There was a fire last night in a warehouse near 75th. Supposedly, it was caused by a small explosive device. However, no traces of androids. In contrast, however, a body was found. I want you to check it out and see if you can find anything useful."

Gavin leafed through the protocol and then found some photos added by Fowler below the notes. Connor leaned over.

"Can you already spot anything important on them what I don't see," Gavin asked him and handed him the paper.

Connor examined the photos with a few glances and his analysis software, but couldn't find anything unusual. So he shook his head.

"Any further details we should know?" Gavin asked, but Fowler shook his head.

"Just the usual: male, estimated to be between 35 and 40 years of age. Traces of Red Ice in the pocket. Hopefully, we'll get more details from the forensics tomorrow."

Gavin nodded and stood up.

"Gavin," Fowler said, and the man turned to him. "Be careful around the crime scene. I trust the people from the task force, but thanks to Connor, you have a better eye. Who knows if they missed anything."

"If so, Connor will find out I guess," Gavin said, and the two of them left Fowler's office.

On the way to the scene, Connor also leafed through the report in more detail and got a better overview. He still asked himself how it connected to their case. The only thing which seemed familiar was the body and the evidence of Red Ice in his pockets.

It didn't take long to arrive at the warehouse. The building appeared somewhat dilapidated on the outside. It had been empty for a long time before the fire. The windows had been smashed, the metal door was bent in its hinges, probably because of the heat of last nights fire.

Connor looked around to scan if he could detect any clues outside, but his analytical program provided no feedback.

"Do you see anything yet?" Gavin asked as he took a pair of gloves from the boot of his car.

Connor shook his head. "Not yet."

Gavin looked around again and then walked towards the door of the building. He removed the police department's flutter tape which was stretched out in front of the door before he tried to open it.

"Lend me a hand, please," he said to Connor, who complied with his request.

The fire didn't cause as much damage as Gavin or Connor had suspected. Black soot remained on the walls. Furthermore, the floor was covered in ash, and a wooden truss had crashed down through the fire. It had taken a part of the roof down with it.

The snow, which had increased a little bit within the last days, trickled through the roof. It had left a white layer on the floor and the crossbeam. Everything looked as if the warehouse had been left alone in its slumber. The atmosphere was oddly calming and disturbing at the same time.

"Watch out. We don't want more coming down if you get anywhere," Gavin told Connor, and he nodded - slightly amused by Gavin's concern for him.

In Connor's head, it already started to spin. He saw that the task force had left several signs on the floor. He now investigated the said areas. Among other things, he inspected the place where the body had been found. According to the traces and the spread of the fire, it seemed to have been mostly spared. In Connor's HUD, the outlines of the deceased appeared, and he tilted his head while he scanned the rest of the surroundings for clues.

The noise cracking under his shoes as he stepped on the wooden and plaster debris created a strange feeling in Connor. He looked around and moved over to another sign the forensics had left.

He found some marks on the floor, which looked like they had been created with a piece of coal. The pattern was unstructured and uneven. Through his analysis, it became clear, that the forensics had overlooked something important. The actual clue, which was much more interesting for Connor, was located about one foot away from the coal pattern.

"I think I've got something," he murmured, and Gavin moved closer to him. "Thirium traces." His gaze followed the drops splattered on the ground. Meanwhile, Connor analysed to which model they belonged. "An ST200... Strange," he murmured.

The trail ended in front of a wall that ran halfway across the hall.

"What exactly is strange about it?" Gavin asked, and Connor looked around the wall.

"The ST200 was the first Android from Cyberlife to be sold commercially. Feminine, visually very attractive." Gavin arched his brows. So far, they'd only assumed that child androids were involved in their case.

Connor took a step back and looked over to the wall's end. The crossbar laid close, so did the parts of the roof. It was difficult to reach the area behind it. But what Connor spotted right there, interested him enough to make sure to get there.

On the other side of the wall stood a piano-wing. It had been spared from the fire and the debris.

"I have to get to the other side of that wall," Connor said and took a few steps back to check if there was an easier way to get there.

Gavin had followed his gaze and was equally surprised. "What's a fucking grand piano doing in a warehouse like this?" he asked.

Connor walked to the end of the wall and tried to squeeze gently past its end. The fallen roof beam was close. It was tricky.

"Just be careful you don't get hurt," Gavin said.

Connor was careful anyway. For a brief moment, it seemed as if the beam was moving, so Connor stopped and leaned back. Only when he was absolutely sure that the situation provided enough safety, he pushed himself further along the wall.

Gavin could only watch Connor approach the grand piano from a certain distance. But what he did after that, made Gavin wonder and at the same time, he thought Connor had lost his marbles.

Connor sat down in all honesty in front of the grand piano and opened the lid that exposed its keyboard. Before Gavin could react, Connor stretched out his arms and put his hands on the keys. He played a melody that sounded perfect. 

Gavin started to ask himself how he could play so good. It made almost run a shiver down his spine. 

But then Connor pressed a particular key that didn't create a sound in the strings inside. Connor's head turned immediately in that direction, and again he tried to play the key.

Nothing happened.

Connor stood up, and under the watchful eyes of Gavin, he approached the side of the instrument and lifted its front cover. It allowed him to take a look inside the frame. However, he couldn't find anything unusual here. Carefully, he lowered the lid again and went over to the spot where he could lift its back cover.

Gavin was a little impatient as Connor searched the inside and found a small, rectangular tin can which stuck between the strings. He removed it. His analysis revealed that the tin box was originally intended for storing sweets. Connor slid the lid of the piano back into its previous position and looked over at Gavin.

"Are you fucking serious?" Gavin asked him, almost relieved but equally delighted.

Connor couldn't resist and grinned at him. He was careful on his way back to Gavin, and now they both looked at the box, standing side by side.

"What do you think is inside?" Gavin asked.

"I don't know, but I hope to find something that will help us," Connor replied.

"Now open it!" Gavin demanded, and Connor complied.

The box contained two android bio-components: A pump regulator and an acoustic unit. Connor didn't dare to touch either of them at all.

"Can you tell what model these came from?"

"The acoustic module has the serial number 3309t. It is typically installed in TR400 models. The pump regulator is from the same model."

"Now what the fuck do you think this has to do with the ST200 that's been here?"

Connor shook his head slightly. "I don't know. But..." Connor reached out for Gavin, and with one hand he slipped into the neckline of Gavin's leather jacket. 

The latter looked at Connor's hand first and then lifted his gaze. Gavin smirked at him with his brows lifted. He noticed how Connor's hand slid over his pecs towards the inner pocket of his jacket.

Connor returned his gaze in amusement and now pulled his hand out again, a pen between his fingers. He knew Gavin always had one at hand.

With its tip he tried to turn the pump regulator in the can slightly, which he managed. When he had found the clue he had hoped for, Connor turned the can slightly towards Gavin, so that he could see what Connor was aiming at. The pump regulator was equipped with a separate tank containing a silver-coloured substance inside.

"Have I already told you today that you're fucking brilliant?" Gavin said to Connor, who arched the corner of his mouth.

"Even if... thank you very much!" Connor had to smile and received a short kiss on his cheek from Gavin before he closed the box again.

"We should get this to forensics as soon as possible," Gavin said, and Connor agreed.

Before they left the warehouse, Connor looked around again, trying to find a link between the discovered item and the ST200, but the traces of Thirium he had found on the floor didn't seem to provide further information.


	15. The owner of the gun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor experiences the need to say something certain to Gavin for the first time.
> 
> They also interview the owner of the weapon related to their case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: Guns, talking about a burglary, talking about dysphoria
> 
> \---
> 
> For this one I have another illustration. It's been a commission, made by the lovely @Yakichou1 on Twitter.
> 
> Thank you so much again. Just go over and show her some love! (http://www.twitter.com/Yakichou1/)

After they returned to the precinct, they reported to Fowler, who was quite content with what they found out. He took the evidence and promised to send it to the forensics. He promised, to make it available for further research to them again after it.

After they had finished, Gavin tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. Because of their newly gained success, he hoped to get some mercy from his superior in terms of giving Connor a few days off.

"Jeffrey, we've got a question."

"What is it?" Fowler was in a good mood, so Gavin thought it was the right decision to address the subject now.

Connor looked at Gavin questioningly.

"How big is the chance for Connor to get a few days off?" Gavin asked.

Fowler was just as surprised as Connor.

"How many days are we talking about?" Fowler asked, and Gavin tilted his head.

"About a week?"

Fowler glanced at Connor. "Why don't you come to me with this, but him?"

Connor frowned and shook his head. "I didn't instruct him to do that, sir. I mean... I meant to ask you about it. But I would have waited another few days or so."

Fowler gave Gavin a quick look and turned back to Connor. "For what reason?"

Connor didn't know exactly how to explain his concern.

But Gavin answered the question instead. "We had an appointment at Cyberlife yesterday. The person who's responsible for Connor suggested making a few improvements on him. At the same time, they would implement a few updates. It would allow him to adapt even better and to do his work more efficiently."

Connor admired Gavin's ability to lie straight to his superior's face. Of course, after the upgrade, he would be able to adapt better to particular situations. But he doubted his work would benefit from it.

Fowler seemed to think for a moment, but before he could say anything, Gavin intervened again.  
"Financially, you have nothing to worry about. Cyberlife takes care of everything. They just want to improve their prototype."

Fowler looked at him in disbelief. "Seriously?" he asked.

Gavin had an admirable way of selling Fowler this idea in a way that he couldn't help but agree with everything. Gavin nodded confidently.

Fowler took his time. "Do you have an appointment yet?" he asked now, but Gavin shook his head.

"We wanted to ask you first."

Then Fowler gave him a nod. "Well, then I'd suggest you go and try to get an appointment. Just give me an update about this. I have to admit that the timing might be a bit off at the moment. But if we can benefit from it, I have no objection to proceed with this project as soon as possible."

His words took a load off Connor's mind. After all, it had been easier than he had thought.

***

They just got in Gavin's car when Gavin looked at Connor. "What do you think about a trip to the Ambassador Bridge? We haven't been there for a while now."

Connor replied to his look and nodded. "Let's go," he said, and Gavin started the engine.

Connor didn't say a word on their way. Gavin picked up a burger at the drive-in as usual and drove to said destination. Gavin parked in the designated area and got out of his car. Connor joined him, and they walked silently towards the bench where they had been sitting last time.

It was already late, and at this time of the day, nobody was around. So they were able to sit down in silence.

Gavin took a seat after he had removed the snow lying on it.

Connor walked a few steps forward to the railing and looked out onto the Detroit River, which looked simply beautiful in the darkness.

Gavin started to eat his burger, and they noticed it just started snowing again.

"It's getting more and more lately..." Connor said, looking up.

Gavin saw some single snowflakes getting caught in Connor's hair.

Then Connor turned around and looked at him. "Thanks, Gavin."

The latter looked at him questioningly. "You've been thanking me a little too much lately, don't you think?" he replied.

Connor smiled at him. "I never imagined you could lie to Fowler's face like that," he said, slightly amused.

"How would you have done it?"

Connor shrugged. "I don't know. Probably I would have been so stupid that I would just have fucked it up, I suppose." He drew lines in the snow with the tip of his shoe.

"Well, then it's a good thing you have a boyfriend for this stuff," Gavin said in a cheeky tone.

Connor laughed softly and looked at him. "You have no idea..." he murmured and Gavin, who had finished his burger, got up and approached him.

He stopped right in front of Connor and he, who was a few inches taller than Gavin, lowered his head a little. Gavin grabbed the lapel of his jacket and came even a little closer.

Gavin didn't have to reach up to kiss Connor, because he leaned down willingly.

Connor could taste the flavour of the burger on Gavin's tongue, along with the Coke that he had drunk. It still amazed him, how tenderly Gavin kissed him. His kisses set emotions free within him that made him just want to remain in his situation...

When Gavin parted from him, Connor couldn't help but lean his forehead against Gavin's while looking in his eyes.

"You're the best thing that could ever have happened to me," Gavin whispered suddenly, and Connor sensed his knees turning weak.

"Gavin, I..." he replied, but Gavin made a repelling sound.

"Don't say anything... please..." Gavin kissed him again, and Connor surrendered to the moment.

Inwardly, Connor realized that his newly installed patch almost forced a particular reaction from him. But for some reason, he was reluctant to respond with probably one of the most famous phrases in film history.

The legendary three words lovers almost regularly said to each other.

But then Connor shuddered when he thought about saying them to Gavin. Not because he didn't want to. It was because he was afraid of Gavin's reaction.

When Gavin looked at him, he tilted his head a little and gave him a slight smile.

"I want you to be happy. You hear me?" Gavin muttered, and Connor lowered his eyes.

"I know..."

Then Gavin cupped his cheek. "Whatever happens, I'll support you, okay?"

Connor nodded. He was glad that Gavin gave him the security he needed right now.

The snowfall became stronger.

Connor looked up, Gavin's gaze followed.

"This is your first snow, right?" Gavin asked.

Connor made a consenting sound. "I love it," he replied. He put on a slight smile before looking at Gavin again, who pulled him into another kiss.

***

On the next morning, after arriving at the DPD, an envelope laid on Gavin's desk.

Gavin sat down on his chair while Connor leaned against the table's edge. Gavin pulled out a list and leafed through it. It was the list that would help them to identify the owner of the found gun that was part of the evidence from their case.

Some of the records were crossed out, others highlighted in yellow or red. Around one of them, the person who had processed the list had added a red frame. Next to it was a note, telling Gavin to pay attention to the attachment remaining in the envelope.

"Let's see then," Gavin said and pulled out the document in question.

It was a report that summed up a burglary. The victim was a middle-aged man whose house had been entered by strangers about six weeks ago. The owner had been on a business trip and had only noticed the break-in after his daughter had called him home.

Among other valuables, his Bain & Davis, the Desert Eagle pistol, had been taken. He had only possessed the weapon for a few months.

"We should probably take a look over there," Gavin suggested and Connor, who had also examined the documents, nodded. Gavin knew he needed Fowler's permission for inspecting this. It would at least save some time.

But before Gavin made any attempt to see Fowler, he picked up the phone and dialled a number.

Connor's data memory identified it as Natalie's number.

Gavin looked at him as he waited for Natalie to pick up.

"Hey, Natalie, it's Gavin."

"Hi. What can I do for you?"

"We'd like to schedule an appointment for Connor's upgrade."

Natalie sounded surprised. "That quick after all?"

Gavin smiled at Connor, whose acoustics made it possible for him to listen to the call.  
"I guess it's going faster than we thought." In the background, Gavin could hear her fiddling with paper and picking up a pen.

"Well, let's have a look." It took a moment for her to get back to him.  
"What do you think about next week? You could bring Connor on upcoming Sunday, and we'll see how it goes."

Gavin looked at Connor questioningly.

Connor hesitated, but then he nodded.

"Okay," Gavin said.

"Good. I'll mark it on the calendar," Natalie replied.

"Perfect, then we'll see you Sunday night around dinner time."

The conversation ended, and when Gavin hung up, he looked at Connor.

Connor had trouble to hide his nervousness. After all, there were just a few days left before the date in question.

"Hey..." Gavin said and leaned over. "You're not going to turn tail now, are you?" he said, and Connor snorted.

"It's not that I have a choice. I don't even have one if you know what I mean," Connor replied, glancing at Gavin with a suggestive grin.

Gavin shook his head in amusement. "Not yet..."

***

They had easily obtained a certificate from Fowler to even conduct an initial house search in case of necessity.

Connor would take a thorough look around the house and scan the areas.

It did not take a long drive to get there. From the outside, the property looked as if it had a lot to offer for thieves. Within Detroit, such properties were located mainly in the outskirts. It was a place where people lived who had a livelihood.

"You would expect the owner to take certain security measures with a property like this, wouldn't you?" Gavin asked after he got out of the car.

"Who knows, maybe he did," Connor replied, putting on his cap to cover his LED and they walked towards the front door.

Gavin rang the bell. It took a while until he noticed a reaction behind the mosaic glass window. An android opened the door and looked at them. Connor identified him as an AP700, the latest model released by Cyberlife, which took care of the household.

"Detroit Police, I'm Detective Reed, this is my partner Connor. We would like to talk to David Palmer," Gavin introduced them and showed his badge.

Connor saw the android's LED glow yellow for a short time, but then nodded and cleared the way into the house's reception room.

Connor and Gavin stepped over the threshold, and Gavin let his eyes wander attentively.

"Please wait a moment," the android said and set off to get his owner.

"It's no wonder there was a certain interest in robbing this place." It was almost a whisper coming from Gavin, and Connor looked at him.

"Gavin, you do know not to judge someone by what he possesses, don't you? Who knows, maybe our man is heartbroken inside. Money isn't everything."

Gavin puffed. "A little more can't hurt, though, can it?" He looked at Connor with a grin.

David Palmer was a middle-aged man who indeed enjoyed the wealth he possessed. His clothes alone had probably more worth than Gavin earned in a year. His android had also returned to the room but remained in the background.

"How can I help you, Detective?" the man asked, and Gavin replied.

"We're here to question you about your stolen gun." Gavin pulled the bag with the gun out of his pocket. Before they had left the precinct, he had taken it from the evidence room. "Can you identify your weapon, sir?"

The man picked up the bag, and Connor saw by the look on his face that he had missed the firearm.

"This model is such a beautiful piece. Wait." The man patted the gun from the outside and examined its barrel in more detail. At one point, he finally stopped and looked at Gavin. "I thought I'd never see her again."

Gavin raised his eyebrows. "So this is your gun, sir?"

The man nodded. "There's a small, almost insignificant notch in the barrel. It's reducing the value of the gun but has a certain charm. That's why I kept her in the first place." He looked further at the gun and then reached the part where its serial number had been carved out. It almost seemed as if it would hurt him deep down his soul.

"What have they done to you..." he murmured, and Gavin exchanged looks with Connor.

"Sir, you were on a business trip when the break-in happened, if I understood correctly."

The man nodded. "It was supposed to last two more days, but my daughter called and informed me that someone had been in my house without permission. She arranged the whole thing with the police and made sure that Nathan got fixed."

He pointed his hand at the android behind him.

Connor wondered that the android had a name, which was still extremely rare.

"What exactly happened to Nathan?" Gavin asked.

"He was in stasis when the burglars entered the house. He usually retreats to one of the upper rooms for that," Palmer explained.

"May I ask Nathan a few questions?" Connor asked the man, and although he seemed surprised at first, he nodded.

"Of course."

Gavin remained standing aside with the man, waiting for Connor to finish his part of the job.

"He's an android, isn't he?" Palmer asked Gavin, and he nodded.

"Yes!" Gavin replied, and Palmer tilted his head.

"What model is that?"

"An RK800."

"Does the DPD work with androids regularly now, or is he an exception? I heard about it on the news," he said, but Gavin shook his head.

"He's a prototype. But he's doing a very good job."

Palmer looked at him appreciatively.

Gavin couldn't hide that he felt a certain pride when Palmer asked him about all this. In his thoughts, Gavin even added an "And he's my partner," as proud as he was.

"Nathan, your owner said you've been in stasis when the strangers entered," Connor asked.

The android nodded. "That's right."

"How did you know there was someone inside the house?"

"The burglars didn't make an effort to stay quiet. One of them pulled the drawer with the silverware out of the cupboard, and it fell to the ground. At that moment, I woke up from stasis and wanted to check if something was wrong."

"Can you remember what the perpetrators looked like?" Connor asked, and Nathan had to think for a moment. His LED alternated between blue and yellow.

"They were androids. Three of them. Two relatively large and one slightly smaller. I don't know the model numbers because they didn't wear any identifying clothes."

"Then how could you tell they were androids?"

"By their LED. Two of the models were also identical."

"Can you give me any other details that might help me?" Connor wanted to know and cocked his head.

"The twins had a dark skin colour and appeared very chunky in terms of their built. I assume they weren't manufactured to work in the household."

Connor nodded. "What about the other one?" he asked, and Nathan needed another moment to answer.

"He was about my size. I'm afraid that's all I can say."

"How did they hurt you?" Connor asked, but the question apparently didn't trigger a proper reaction in the android. Only now Connor remembered that the android wasn't a deviant. Accordingly to this, he had to ask his question differently.

"Where did they damage you? How did that happen?" Connor asked.

Now the android reacted and pointed to his right arm and his left side, at the height of his ribs. "Each of them was carrying a crowbar. When I came down the stairs and saw them, they hit me. It caused a malfunction and my program put me into a maintenance sleep."

Connor pondered for a moment. "Please run a systems analysis." He saw Nathan's eyelids flutter.

"All systems operational," Nathan responded.

"Has anyone accessed your memory lately?" Connor asked, but Nathan shook his head.

"No."

Connor nodded. That was all he wanted to know. "Thank you, Nathan." Of course, he wasn't a deviant, but Connor still found it appropriate to thank him for the cooperation.

Now Connor came back to Gavin and Palmer.

"You got all the information?" Gavin asked, and Connor nodded.

"The DPD already checked your house for evidence, if I'm right," Gavin asked.

Palmer nodded.

"Would you mind if I let him walk through the rooms for a second to check if he finds anything else?"

Palmer lifted his eyebrows. "Will he turn everything upside down again?" he asked, and Gavin shook his head.

"He's equipped with analytical software. He only needs a quick look to complete his work."

Palmer looked at Connor and nodded.

Gavin glanced at Connor, and he excused himself.

Connor had no intention of touching anything in the house. Inside the various rooms, he activated his analytical software and scanned the surfaces for traces. But he didn't find a single clue that wasn't already in the report.

The entire place was clean.

However, now he understood what Gavin had meant before by saying that it was quite attractive for burglars to enter this house. He was a little surprised that the thieves had taken so little.

"You might consider getting a new security system," Gavin suggested downstairs.

"Yes, I've already made enquiries, and next week I want someone to come by and install a new system."

Now Connor came down the stairs.

"Did you find anything?" Gavin asked.

Connor shook his head. "No. All clear."

Gavin turned to Palmer. "Good. Then we won't bother you any further. Thank you for your cooperation."

A few moments later, Gavin and Connor sat in the car and reviewed what had happened.

"Did you get anything out of the android?" Gavin asked him, and Connor told what Nathan had said to him.

After that, Gavin waited a moment before he addressed Connor again. "He had a name," he said, and Connor tilted his head.

"Yes," he replied, but he didn't know exactly what Gavin was trying to say.

"Was he a deviant?" he asked Connor, but he shook his head.

"At least it didn't seem like it."

***

They had just entered the precinct when Connor heard Markus' voice in his head.  
"Do you have time to talk?" his voice echoed, and Connor stopped to get himself sorted again for a moment.

"One second!" he returned to Markus and looked at Gavin. "Go ahead. I'll be right behind you. Or wait for me." He touched his temple.

"What's wrong?" Gavin asked bemused, and Connor made a repelling gesture with his hand.

"Markus... I'm in my office," Connor said and went over to his room.

Gavin would wait for him.

"What's up?" Connor finally asked Markus after he had entered his office and closed the door from the inside.

"Meeting! Tonight? Same meeting place!" Markus was clear from the beginning.

"Yeah, I'm gonna... Yes, of course! Same time as usual?"

"Yes."

"Good!" Connor replied.

This brief conversation would cause further discussion with Gavin. But after what Gavin had told him, he felt there was only one way out of this situation.

"Markus?"

"Yeah?"

"I would like to clarify things with you and Gavin. Can he come too?" Connor didn't have high hopes.

"Can you take responsibility for that?"

Connor hesitated a moment before he answered. Because he knew there was a lot at stake if Gavin started acting up again. "Yes!"

Markus took a moment to answer. "Okay," he finally replied.

"Thanks."

Then the connection between them ended.

***

Connor left his office and walked towards Gavin's desk. The latter looked at him questioningly.

"Later," Connor said, and Gavin stood up.

"Fowler?" Gavin asked and made a gesture towards Fowler's office.

Connor nodded.

They explained the facts and that Connor had questioned the android. After that, they reported that the weapon belonged to the man in question and what clues he had given them.

Fowler was satisfied.

"We also have a date for Connor's adjustment," Gavin suddenly said, and Connor gave him a quick look.

Fowler waited for further details from Gavin and glanced at him waiting.

"Next week. I'll bring him over on Sunday evening. They told me that he will have to stay there for around a week. It depends."

Fowler nodded. "Good. Then I hope everything will be fine," he said to Connor.

"Thank you, sir!"

***

Afterwards, Gavin took care of the paperwork, while Connor had time to do a little self-care in his office. He had signalled Gavin that he needed a short break to reflect and process everything that had happened.

Gavin let him.

So Connor finally found himself in his mind-palace, where he first sat down on his chaiselongue and closed his eyes. He enjoyed the tranquillity of this place. But that wasn't the only reason why he had come here.

It didn't take long until Hank appeared next to him on one of the chairs. He leaned back comfortably. "All this developed very nicely," he said while looking around, and Connor answered with a consenting sound.

It made him feel good that Hank was nearby at the moment. He would start a conversation. But he was still too agitated inside for that.

Connor was about to change his whole life. What would happen after his adjustment at Cyberlife? He and Gavin finally made some progress with the case. The question was, how would it turn out?

"You worry too much, Connor!" Hank raised the word now, and Connor just listened to him for the time being. "Just be honest. You do want all this. Otherwise, you wouldn't have chosen this path, would you?"

Connor sighed. "You are right. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm a little scared about it."

Hank knew what he was talking about. "It's a step in the direction you always wanted to go. Even back then, when this thing with Gavin started. Remember?"

Connor nodded and now opened his eyes. "I just worry about whether everything will be the same after this."

Hank laughed. "Of course it won't, son. You're changing something essential about yourself. How could it stay the same after that?"

Connor sighed.

"But on the other hand, you have a whole new set of possibilities if you do that. You can finally be whoever you wanted to be. Can't you? Just remember that time of you looking in the mirror. The permanent issues of dysphoria you've been going through. The things you couldn't cope with and ardently wished there was a way to change it." Hank told the truth.

Connor remembered the moments when he had wished nothing more than to change everything. He wanted to be closer to Gavin. Plus, he could take him out to dinner if he wanted to. Connor had blanked out all these things for a few moments.

"It will help me to be more human, won't it?" Connor finally said, and Hank nodded and made an approving sound.

"Even with the case everything is going well... After all, I couldn't be happier."

"Take it as it is, Connor! You don't have to be afraid of what's coming. Of course, with these changes comes a certain responsibility. But it's all part of being human."

Connor took a deep breath and sighed. "You're right..." he finally murmured and turned to him.

Hank looked at him, his blue eyes deep and warm. He gave Connor a light smile.

"Thank you, Hank," Connor said, and Hank made a defensive gesture before getting up and leaving the island in Connor's mind-palace.

"Hank?" Connor asked, and his former colleague turned slightly towards him. "Why did you do that?" Connor knew he wouldn't get an answer. Still, it was like an anchor for him to ask Hank this question over and over again.

Hank gave him a last smile before he turned away from him and disappeared from his mind palace.

***

After his shift, Connor finally had a chance to tell Gavin what he had discussed with Markus.

"He asked for a meeting. Tonight," Connor said, and Gavin looked at him waiting. He hadn't even started the engine. "He didn't give any details. He just asked me if we can meet tonight."

"What did you tell him?" Gavin replied.

"That it's going to be okay." Gavin nodded, but Connor had something else to add. "Also, I've asked him if you can come too."

Gavin raised his eyebrows. "You serious?"

Connor nodded. "I want us to settle this. Now that I know why you reacted that way the last time."

Gavin lowered his head and avoided Connor's gaze.

"Was that okay?" Connor asked.

Gavin's look seemed hurt, but then he nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry I acted like an ass."

"It's okay. We'll sort it out!" Connor said and leaned over to his partner. "Hey..." he said to him, and Gavin lifted his eyes. "We'll do this together, won't we?" he asked him, and there was something so innocent in his voice that Gavin couldn't help but lean over and kiss him.


	16. No turning back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin gets the chance to excuse himself to Markus.
> 
> Connor is scared about the upcoming week. - The week a certain thing will finally change for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs for this Chapter: Medical(?) explanations

Gavin and Connor went home first so Gavin could eat something. Afterwards, they settled on the couch for a while and watched the news. But neither of them really watched them. Instead, they were busy enjoying each other's company. 

Connor leaned against Gavin and relaxed while he buried his nose in Connor's hair, brushed over his shoulders and gave him comforting kisses once in a while. They just enjoyed their proximity.

Just the thought of being completely without Connor for the whole next week made Gavin feel uneasy.

When it was time to meet Markus, the two got on their way. Gavin had reassured Connor that he would behave himself. Thankfully the Lakefront Park was empty again. The Darkness also gave them some protection. Connor and Gavin walked along the trail together. They could already see the bridge from a distance.

However, Connor couldn't make out either Simon or Markus.

They appeared just seconds before Connor and Gavin reached the bridge. Connor grabbed for Gavin's hand and headed straight towards them. As they arrived at their destination, they kept a certain distance.

"Hi, Connor... Gavin!" Markus said and nodded at them.

"Hey, Markus." Connor noticed a certain tension building up. So he thought it would be a good idea to clarify things before starting to discuss any further details.

"In the meantime, Gavin told me why he has such a problem with androids. His reasons were plausible for me. But he intends to change that," Connor said, looking at Gavin, who didn't make a sound until now.

Markus looked at Gavin while waiting. "I don't want to know exactly what happened. If Connor tells me it was a mistake, then I trust him." Markus took a short break before he proceeded. "Can we trust you?" he asked Gavin straight away, and Gavin nodded.

"Yes! I'm sorry for my behaviour, and I want to apologize," he said.

Connor realized that Simon still didn't trust the situation at all. But apparently, for Markus, it was enough.

"Okay," Markus replied and now approached Connor for a few steps.

Gavin could feel a slight pressure in his hand and took a deep breath. The circumstances were hard enough for him. He would restrain himself and just say something if it was necessary.

"For the time being, we gathered everything we had and thought about how to proceed," Markus told him.

Connor showed his interest.

"I talked to North, a member of our group, about the idea of her infiltrating the ring. She might find out what exactly is going on there and provide further information. Another member, Ripple, will accompany her."

Connor listened to him and nodded. "Okay. Where do you want to strike first?"

"She will show up at the places you've been watching on various evenings, trying to make contact with the group. If there are drug dealers among them, it shouldn't be a problem to join them."

"What if something goes wrong?" Gavin asked.

"We've discussed this. Everyone who's involved in this project knows the risk they are taking. Fortunately, Ripple and North both have experience in this type of business, given their past. Which I won't go into any more detail at this point to protect them."

Since Connor himself hadn't mentioned any details of Gavin's past, he accepted Markus's decision.

"It would be good if we knew what they look like."

"Why?" Markus asked in response to Connor's question.

"If there is combat, we don't want to kill your people." This reason seemed intelligible enough for Markus.

"If it comes to difficulties, I consider them both capable enough to get out of it. But you never know."

"Were you able to find further clues already?" Connor asked, and Markus shook his head.

"All we suspect so far is that the main actors are humans who make use of androids. Unfortunately, we don't know more yet." At least it was a step forward.

"Is there any new information from your end?" Markus asked, and Connor nodded.

"Few, but we're making progress," he replied and raised his hand. Markus responded to the gesture and placed his palm on Connor's.

Gavin looked at the scene with slight discomfort but didn't say anything.

The two exchanged the new data, so Markus was able to get an even better picture of the situation. Markus transferred an image of North and Ripple too. Finally, they separated again.

"Okay," he said, and Connor could tell, Markus had something else in mind he wanted to discuss.

"I hate to say this, but is there any chance you could get something for us?" Markus asked him, and Connor tilted his head.

"What is this about?"

"We need some more Thirium and some spare parts." For the first time, in Markus's look was something helpless and Connor couldn't say "No!" in this situation. But at the same time, he had his plans for next week in mind. He wasn't even able to accomplish his task, even if he wanted to.

Connor was just about to turn Markus down when Gavin spoke up.  
"I'll get them! What exactly do you need?" he asked, and Markus looked at him slightly astonished.

Both Connor and Simon were surprised.

Markus reached out for Simon who took a piece of paper from the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it over to Markus, who then passed it to Gavin.  
"We mainly need small parts, but they're important because some members in our group are about to shut themselves down. Two of them are children."

Connor looked at Gavin, who had unfolded the note and was now going through what they needed.  
"I have to see what I can do. But I'll try to get as much as possible." He looked at Connor for a moment.

"You can take the Thirium from my reserves. At least part of it. Then it might be not that difficult," Connor said, and Gavin nodded.

"Can we rely on that?" asked Markus and Gavin nodded.

"I wouldn't have been able to help you on time anyway since I'm not at work for the whole next week," Connor said, and Markus looked at him. "I have to go to Cyberlife because I have several updates coming up that I can't just get done in between."

Markus nodded. "Okay."

Meanwhile, Gavin reached inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his wallet. He pocketed the note from Markus and then took out a business card. "If anything happens, call me using this number. I'll make sure I get the spare parts by the middle of next week. Call me, and we'll sort it out, okay?" Gavin handed the card to Markus, and he took it.

"Okay."

"After screwing up last time, this is the least I can do," Gavin added.

Connor was impressed by his benevolence but didn't comment on the whole thing. In a way, he was quite proud of Gavin.

Shortly afterwards they said their goodbye.

"Take care next week," Markus encouraged Connor and hugged him briefly.

After it had looked like as if Markus and Connor wouldn't find a way to work together, things weren't looking that bad in the end.

***

"I have to ask you this because I still can't believe it," Connor said as he sat in the car with Gavin again. "Did you just promise Markus that you'd get spare parts for him and his group?"

Gavin smiled and looked at Connor. "I did."

Connor shook his head and had to grin. "Who are you, and what have you done with my partner?"

Now it was Gavin who leaned over. "You told me to behave myself," he murmured, and Connor tilted his head slightly.

"I didn't think you would go full blast right away," Connor replied.

"Sometimes I get the impression that there's still a lot you don't know about me, my dear..." Gavin said before giving Connor a gentle kiss.

***

The following days, Gavin and Connor enjoyed their time aside from their work. They spent much time in the bedroom. Not even to get intimate. Instead, they considered it as a gift to encourage each other.

Gavin reassured Connor as he noticed that he was getting more anxious about the matter than he wanted to admit.

Just Gavin holding him made Connor feel safe and, most importantly, better. His proximity helped him to adjust internally to the change. But he wasn't afraid of the outcome, or even the thought that it might be a mistake. He was more afraid of the whole process, or that something might go wrong.

***

Sunday afternoon Gavin and Connor gathered all the necessary things that Connor would need while staying at Cyberlife. Connor was completely overwhelmed and didn't even know if he would need something like a hairbrush. He and Gavin had gone to a drugstore earlier and bought the essentials. Simply because Gavin thought Connor would need it.

Nevertheless, they stood in the bathroom and collected the last things and packed them into a duffle bag.

Connor held a brush in his hand while Gavin asked him various questions, but he couldn't give him a proper answer.

"Should I pack in some towels for you or something? I don't know if you..." Gavin turned to Connor and saw him staring at the brush. It was like his mind was entirely elsewhere.

"Connor?" His partner didn't answer him. Gavin dropped the bag to the floor and moved closer to Connor to take the brush out of his hand and look at him. 

Connor finally raised his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Gavin asked him, his voice soft, and Connor shook his head slightly.

"I don't know." Gavin pulled Connor towards him, and Connor laid his head on his partner's shoulder.

"You'll be all right. We've been talking about this for the last couple of days."

"I know..."

Gavin stroked him across his back, and Connor closed his eyes. He was just not himself at the moment. Also, he already missed Gavin. One week without him would feel like an eternity.

***

Before they entered the Cyberlife Tower, Gavin leaned back in the seat of his car and looked at Connor. "If you tell me to turn back now, I'll turn back!"

Connor shook his head. "I want this," he said, returning Gavin's look. "It's just all a bit much right now. I've never done anything like this before, you know?"

Gavin nodded approvingly. "I know. But you've been in a maintenance sleep a couple of times, haven't you?"

Connor nodded.

"See... This will be no different. When you wake up, everything will be fine, and as soon as I can leave work, I'll come here to visit you."

Now Connor reached for Gavin's hand and squeezed it.

"Everything's going to be okay," Gavin said, and Connor bent over to put his head on Gavin's shoulder one last time.

Gavin finally kissed him on the forehead. "Come on..." Gavin encouraged him, and Connor looked at him before he kissed him on his mouth.

After they had signed in and taken the lift down, Natalie welcomed them in the hallway.

She immediately went to Connor and smiled at him. "Hey my dear, how are you?" she asked and embraced him. Connor returned the hug and took a deep breath.

Then he looked at her. "To be honest, the Thirium is up to here..." he said, making a gesture along his throat.

"I can picture it. And you?" she asked and then looked at Gavin.

"I'm trying to block out that he won't be home for a week!" he replied, and Natalie grinned.

"I can imagine that it must be hard. Come along. We've already prepared everything so far."

So they walked down the corridor and Natalie led them into her office.

"Take a seat first so we can talk," she asked them, and they sat down at the desk together.

"Do you ever have weekends here?" Gavin asked, and she shook her head.

"Not really. Let's just say there are always days in between when we can take your time off. But generally speaking, there's no weekend on the schedule, as you might be used to. It's not easy sometimes, but on the other hand, work is fun. At least for me."

Gavin tilted his head.

"Well, Connor... We're starting tomorrow?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I am very sure that I want all this. But I'm pretty scared about the way things will happen." His insecurity was noticeable in his voice.

"That's why I called you here today. So we can talk about everything," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Under all circumstances, I don't want you to approach this matter unprepared, okay?"

Connor nodded, and she started to explain.

"For tomorrow we've planned to revise your power management. As agreed, you will get something like a stomach that converts ordinary food into energy. We're just installing a few wires from your throat down into your abdomen, and all the way down. So you can eat something right afterwards and see how it's like."

Connor nodded and looked briefly at Gavin.

"Afterwards, Gavin can come and visit you. We'll try out a few different dishes to check if everything is running smooth and, of course, how you're coping with it."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Connor said and listened to Natalie, who went on to explain.

"As part of step two, we'll plan to rewire your sensors. This step takes proximately two days. But since we're re-connecting each sensor separately, we can stop in between and continue the other day. The individual processes would be too complicated to explain in detail. So I will spare you this. The energy you take up after the first step will be useful then," she reported.

"The last step is the physical adjustment. We found a way to modify an already available component to fit you. It's still not plug-and-play, but it makes things easier for us. We've also modelled the components for your lower body a little differently in the computer. So we can promise you a better fit. Altogether this is better than removing the existing parts, modifying them mechanically and reattaching them. However, this will also be the most difficult part".

"I thought so," Connor replied, and Natalie nodded.

"The most difficult step is to synchronise the sensors with the new part. Unfortunately, it's also the point where any mistakes we may have made in the previous step will show up first."

"What happens if you notice an error?" Connor asked, and Natalie tilted her head.

"In that case, we'll have to add a few hours of work and find out where the error is coming from. Another problem will be that, as a result of this work, we'll have some open pipes from time to time. That means you might lose a little more Thirium than might be good for you," she explained, and Gavin raised his eyebrows.

That was the part he liked least about the whole thing, and he saw Connor lowering his head. This thing scared him, Gavin saw it. But there was no other way if he wanted to do this.

"That's basically the whole process. We can do this, I'm sure. Besides that, Connor is always in the best hands if there's any trouble."

Gavin reached for Connor's hand and interlocked it with his. Natalie took a moment before she said anything more.

"You're aware, that once we've got all this behind us, you'll have to bow down to him first, won't you Gavin?" she asked and smiled. She showed sympathy but wanted to ease the situation a bit.

But Gavin sighed and nodded. "Yes... I don't think I could ever be that brave, to be honest."

Now Connor had to smile too. "You're too kind," he said.

"Ah, before I forget it... You'll get further instructions when we're done with the whole procedure, but: Do you have any questions I might be able to answer?" Natalie asked, and Connor looked up and then at Gavin.

"Well..." Gavin finally asked. "You said you already had a component available that you're going to modify and assemble?"

Natalie nodded. "Before you ask, you can't take a look at it."

Now Gavin was a little surprised. "Why not?"

She smiled. "In a way, I can understand your curiosity. Normally that wouldn't be a problem either. I think your relationship with Connor is already deeper as the one I've seen with other customers and their androids. That's why I would recommend not to look at the biocomponent in advance."

Gavin still didn't quite understand.

"Allow the whole situation to discover it yourself afterwards. Be sure it's better this way. Otherwise, you may never get rid of the idea that this part of Connor didn't belong to him first."

Gavin pulled a face, but actually, Natalie was right. "Okay, um... Maybe you're right," he said, leaving it at that.

"If I understand this correctly, I'll be able to eat just like a human afterwards. I don't like to bring it up, but..." Connor started, was interrupted by Natalie.

"I think I know what you are getting at and the answer is 'Yes!' You'll have to use a toilet in the future."

That was actually the question Connor wanted to ask her, and so he nodded. "Okay..."

"You should also learn to brush your teeth. Otherwise, all kinds of food will leave a mark on them."

Now Connor was grinning at Gavin. "He already showed me this the other day."

Natalie raised her eyebrows. "He did?"

Connor nodded. "Yes, and it was very weird."

Natalie smiled. "Great. However, I would recommend you get the appropriate toothpaste. Because I'm not sure if regular toothpaste won't damage the ceramics your teeth are made of over time. Even if it's a very stable and resistant material, some pastes contain certain substances which can cause permanent damage. I can give you a list if you want."

"That would be great," Connor replied.

Gavin knew the following question was just bullshit to ask. But he thought it would at least lighten the mood and maybe make Connor laugh. That alone was worth asking.

"Tell me, Natalie... I don't have to worry about that if I have sex with him afterwards and we're too hectic... He won't take a screenshot, right?"

Natalie chuckled and shook her head.

Meanwhile, Connor snorted himself. "You stupid idiot," he said, and Gavin pretended to be serious about his question.

"What? That's a fair question," he said, but then started to grin, and Connor looked at him.

Natalie gave Gavin an amused look. "Of course he won't take a screenshot, stupid!" she replied, and the three of them laughed.

The mere fact that Connor was grinning again had been worth it.

"As for any further questions on this subject, I'll give you a checklist afterwards. So you'll be prepared if it comes to that, okay?" Natalie said, and Gavin was a little surprised that they had thought of this topic.

"Come along, I'll show you the room where Connor will spend his nights," Natalie said and stood up.

Gavin and Connor followed her.

They left Natalie's office and crossed the corridor, where they stopped in front of the last door on the right side. Natalie unlocked it and entered the room, to turn the lights on.

Inside it was quite comfortable, unlike Natalie's sparse office itself. The walls were painted white, but there laid a large carpet in the middle of the room, which made it a little cosier.

The bed had been covered with comfortable looking bed linen, so very different from any hospital. Next to the bed stood a bedside table. This one was more like the ones at a hospital because one could pull out a table from its side. But it didn't ruin the atmosphere nevertheless. Last but not least, it also had a television which was on the opposite side of the bed.

"In this cupboard, you can put the things you brought with you. There's a bathroom back there, by the way," she explained, pointing at the integrated door on the other side of the bedroom. After all, the whole room was more looking like the one from a hotel.

"I hope the furnishings make it a little easier for you to spend your days here. We might have to bring in one or two monitors to ensure proper control of your vital signs, but that's about it," Natalie said, and Connor took a look around.

It felt quite reassuring for him. "Did you arrange this room just for me?"

"Not really... It is one of the rooms we're using regularly when we have to work for several days at a time. It serves as a relaxation room. We have two other rooms of this kind. But while you're here, you don't have to worry that someone might appear in this room at some point," she said, and Connor nodded.

Connor was afraid that Natalie would throw Gavin out now and that he would be alone afterwards, but she had a little surprise in store.

"By the way: If you promise to behave and Gavin is out of here by seven in the morning, he can stay overnight," she said.

Gavin looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Are you serious?"

She nodded. "I'm staying here tonight anyway, and I'll be right next door. I can let you out in the morning around seven. But I'll have to lock the room tonight. It doesn't matter if Connor stays here alone, or if you're with him."

Gavin turned his head to Connor. "Should I stay here?" he asked him, and Connor nodded a moment later.

"Fine, I'll stay," Gavin said.

"Good, I'll get you a bottle of water, so you have something to drink," she said and finally left the room.

The door had barely closed when Connor pulled Gavin in his arms.  
"I'm so grateful for you being here and doing all this for me. You have no idea how much..." he murmured and looked at Gavin.

"I think I do," he said and kissed Connor. "You don't think I liked the thought of leaving you alone here, do you?" he asked, and Connor smiled at him. He was so thankful to have a partner like Gavin.

***

Even if Gavin was with him, Connor was anything other than relaxed. The clock already had struck two and he still laid in his arms and couldn't calm down.

Gavin kissed his neck. "You can do this," he murmured and planted a kiss on Connor's ear.

"Do you think everything will be alright?" Connor replied, and Gavin made an approving sound.

"You heard Natalie. I believe everything will turn out fine," he said, trying to encourage Connor this way. He reached for his hand to interlace it with his.

Connor turned his head to the side so he could look in Gavin's eyes. "I couldn't have done all this without you. Do you know that?"

Gavin looked at him with a gentle glance and kissed him. "Without me, you probably wouldn't even have this whole thing happening," he said. His tone sounded serious.

"Maybe you're right. But you know what? In the end, it's probably the best thing that could have happened to me," Connor replied, seeing Gavin smile slightly before he leaned forward to kiss him.


	17. Adjustments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor will finally get his adjustment to become more human.
> 
> Gavin meanwhile will have to deal with another colleague, which he deeply despises.
> 
> But then things get a little bit out of order...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally going on with this fiction and the next chapter! ;) I hope it wasn't that bad to wait a little bit. If you haven't seen it already: The fiction got an overwork and contains now more illustrations and hopefully less mistakes. ;)
> 
> I hope you enjoy the new chapter and I would love it to read you in the comments! In other terms: Merry Xmas! :)
> 
> \---
> 
> CWs for this Chapter: slight anxiety, medical(?) explanations, threatening, harassment, dysphoria (mentioned)

"You got this, you hear me?" Gavin said and placed his hand on the back of Connor's head.

Connor leaned his forehead against Gavins. "Yes..." he murmured. If anyone would've asked him, he didn't want to let Gavin go.

"I'll pay you a visit later, okay?" Gavin said, and Connor nodded, whereas Gavin brushed through his hair and they exchanged another glance. Gavin held him tight and planted a kiss in the crook of his neck before he gave him another on his lips. "Natalie will take good care of you. Otherwise, I'm gonna spank her!"

Connor chuckled, and he noticed that even Natalie was amused.

It wasn't easy to get up in the morning. Gavin's clock on his smartphone had woken them up. But it was no use. Gavin had to work, and Natalie was about to get ready for Connor's adjustment.

Finally, Connor let go of him. It was very hard for him as Gavin went over to the door and took a last look over his shoulder. He winked at Connor, and he couldn't help but smile.

Gavin just had left the room as Natalie went over to him and spoke up: "I'll give you that: You are so cute it's rotting my teeth." Sie smiled and saw Connor nodding. Then he sighed, and Natalie noticed how his eyes gathered with tears. She placed an arm around his shoulders and gave him a comforting hug. "Everything will be fine," she said, and Connor was thankful for her to be with him.

"I would give you something like a vest, so you don't have to expose that much. But with what we about to do, we need space," Natalie told him, and now Connor looked at her.

"Let's be honest: I'm an android. You don't have to handle me like a human. Let's not fool each other."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to feel humiliated, my dear."

Now Connor avoided Natalie's glance.

"Come, let's go. It's time."

Connor followed her to the room, where she had repaired his neck a few weeks ago. There Connor met the other two members from Natalie's team.

"It's a pleasure to introduce you to these two fine men, Connor. In fact, you already know them. But I think you're not gonna remember them."

Connor was highly interested in getting to know them, and he approached them. The one Natalie introduced first to him was a tall man. According to his analysis, he was about 6.2 feet tall. He had a slightly darker skin tone and black hair.

"Meet Ryley Singleton. He's responsible for your sensory system and has developed it as you've been created." Connor shook his hand. "He'll be very important within the next days."

"Hi," Connor greeted in a friendly tone, even if he didn't know if he should say something more. But then Natalie took this decision from him by introducing the other to him.

"Well, this is... Conor Matthews." That was all she said, and Connor lifted an eyebrow.

"He's got the same name as me?"

Natalie smirked. "Yes, but one N is missing."

The man shook Connor's hand. He was almost the same size as himself, and according to his analytical software, he had the typical characteristics of an American. "Nice to see you again," he said, and Connor already noticed that his voice was very similar to his own. It was just two nuances deeper, and so he tilted his head and smirked.

"He helped to design your appearance. So he's responsible for the way you look, and so we found it quite amusing to give you his name. We just added another N in the middle."

Connor looked at Natalie. "If you lay my ideas into the basket in terms of your adapting software and your equipment, you could say, your whole family is standing in front of you."

It was a little much for Connor, and he didn't know what to say. But within an instant, he felt so much better. What could go wrong if exactly the people worked on him, who had created him?

***

In terms of Gavin's work, things went quite different as he had hoped. He had arrived at the precinct and sat at his desk in the bullpen. Gavin had to fight down a yawn because he was still a little tired. Then his phone rang, and he picked it up.

"Yes? Reed?"

"Please come over to my office," Jeffrey said.

"Coming..." he replied. He didn't want to stand up and walk over, but he had no other choice. As he entered the room, he saw that someone had already taken a seat in front of Fowler's desk. But as he remembered who it was, he would've loved to turn on his heel and leave the office again.

"Good morning, Gavin. Take a seat," Fowler asked him.

Gavin swallowed the uprising anger within him and sat down after he had pulled the chair a little to the side. He demonstratively wanted to keep a certain distance between him and the other.

"Since Connor is out of reach this week, I'll assign you to work together with Jamie," Fowler said.

"Forget it!" Gavin replied and looked at his colleague, and his glance was highly disapproving. "I don't work together with this fucker!" he went on, but Fowler shook his head.

"I say it, and you will work together with him, Gavin!"

Jamie himself didn't say a word, but his glance showed a particular dominance against Gavin.

Jamie Wallace was one of Gavin's colleagues he had already known as he had worked together with Henry back then. And even then Gavin couldn't stand him at all. He always had a big mouth. Jamie was a nasty little git. Gavin had told Henry once that his abilities were similar to a hiccup during fucking - What he did, was useless and he hindered his colleagues to get their work done. Gavin was wondering why he still worked for the precinct, but in the end, Gavin didn't care, as long as he didn't have to work with him.

"You're going on stakeouts this week."

"He doesn't set foot in my car!" Gavin protested, but Fowler just looked at him in annoyance.

"It's just for this week!"

"Each and every second is too much, Jeffrey! I could better stay at home and do nothing!" Gavin retorted, but now Fowler slammed a fist on his table.

"You will go on stakeouts with him if you like it or not, Gavin!"

Now Gavin got silent, but within him, his anger turned bigger and bigger.

Fowler's tone lowered down again, and he looked at both of them. "I assigned you for the day shifts. Between ten and two o'clock, you're gonna observe different places. I don't care if you do this in your car or if you're going on foot. You'll find further instructions on your schedules." He took a short pause. "Got it?"

"Yes, _Sir_!" Gavin replied, almost a little bitchy and stood up to leave his office. He went over to the breakroom.

He needed a fucking coffee now.

***

Through the whole first part of his adjustment, Connor was conscious. He laid on the desk, his whole torso was open, and various cables applied to his wires. His sensory system had been disabled. He listened to the conversations of Natalie and her colleagues and replied if they asked something. Connor was also very glad about the fact that they all knew he was a deviant.

The other way around it was a reason to make things easy to distract him from what was happening. They asked him how he had felt while he deviated and how it went on after it. Also, they asked him about his thoughts about different emotions. Connor replied accordingly as far as he was able to.

"Natalie, I need your help with this splitter," Connor heard his namesake asking, and Ryley bent over Connor's face to control his pupils with a small flashlight.

"Your boyfriend's name is Gavin, right?" Conor asked.

Connor assumed that his question had also distracting purposes, but he was willing to tell him. "Yes," he said.

"Tell me something about him. I'm interested how he's enriching your life," he wanted to know, and Connor didn't know how to start answering this.

"Well, if you look at how things started, you wouldn't even think that he would ever be my partner."

Then Natalie interrupted him. "To be honest, he's such a sweetheart, I'll tell you. Good looking, has an extreme sense of emotions, and chose the right job... Get yourself a partner who's looking at you like Gavin at Connor, and you fulfilled your lifegoal!"

Connor saw, how Conor lifted his glance and looked at Natalie from the side.

She replied his look. "What? - I just tell it as it is!"

Connor could tell that Conor was grinning below his mask and he couldn't help either. "You're very sweet Natalie," he said.

"I'm just telling the truth," she responded and snorted before she started to chuckle.

***

Gavin hadn't exchanged a word with Jamie, since Henry had passed. Back then Jamie just had pitied him, and Gavin hadn't had answered at all. Every time Jamie opened his mouth, his urge to punch him in the mug got bigger. They just had to kill time. With Connor, this would've been way easier and above all more pleasant.

"You don't touch anything in my car, and you don't ask stupid questions," Gavin had instructed him in a harsh tone before he had entered his car. Jamie didn't say a word until now, but Gavin could picture it that it would happen at some point.

Gavin couldn't stand him at all, and he would let him feel it if Jamie would challenge him.

He yearned for the time his shift would end. Gavin could take his things and visit Connor. He was worried, but he tried to stay calm.

Throughout the whole stakeout, he didn't see anything unusual, except that Jamie took notes once in a while. After he had pulled his notepad for the fifth time, Gavin snapped. "What the fuck are you noting the whole time?"

"Do you really wanna know?" Jamie answered, and Gavin was just about to grab after his notepad. "I'm just writing down if I see something."

Now Gavin got suspicious. "There's nothing to write down. You don't have to write down every little bullshit, just because someone is smoking a cigarette or something and kids are around, do you?"

Jamie just looked at him from the side, giving him a telling look.

"Moron..." Gavin murmured and looked back out of the windshield.

"I mean, I could also write down how you humiliate me. I guess Fowler isn't gonna like it."

Now Gavin looked back at him. "Yeah, yeah, you really would like that, wouldn't you?" he said, but Jamie didn't react.

Just as Gavin looked away from him, he spoke up: "I bet you're not humiliating your partner like this!"

Now Jamie had hit a nerve.

"It's none of your fucking business, how I treat my partner! Got it?"

Jamie didn't say anything further.

***

Connor went well through the first step of his adjustment. For around one hour they had put him in a maintenance sleep. After he woke up, he noticed a change in his throat. He also felt a little strange in the area of his abdomen. He laid in the bed in his room.

Natalie was with him and controlled his eyes and also his mouth. "Everything seems to be okay."

"Everything is done for today?" Connor asked, and Natalie nodded.

"Yes, from now on you can eat usual food to gain energy out of it." She smiled at him.

Connor was content that all had worked accordingly. "Did you have any problems?" he asked then, and she shook her head.

"No, we didn't have any problems at all. How do you feel?"

Connor nodded. "Good, I guess. It's a little strange around my mouth, but I think it will pass." He smiled slightly.

***

It took another hour until Natalie joined Connor again. She brought a tablet over, which she placed beside Connor on his bedside table. "Bon Appetit."

Connor had already sat up.

"And to make sure you're not gonna do anything stupid, I brought you also an assistant who can feed you if it's necessary," she said.

Connor looked at her for a moment as if he didn't know how to take what she said. Within an instant, he saw a movement in the direction of the door and turned his head. "Gavin!" Connor said and excitement raised within him. Just now he noticed how much he had missed his partner, but Gavin already made his way to him. He pulled him into his arms and grinned, just to kiss him the other second.

Natalie stood beside them and smirked.

Then Gavin sat down on Connor's bed. "Natalie told me already that you behaved well," he said, and Connor nodded.

"Everything went fine," he replied, and Gavin took a look at the tablet.

"Don't expect too much," Natalie warned him.

What Connor saw as he pulled the lid off, was a little discouraging.

"What exactly is this?" Gavin wanted to know.

"We prepared some eggs for him just to give him a little taste for it. The white cubes are some proteins. He'll need the energy the next days."

"To be honest it looks almost a little depressing," Gavin replied, but Connor picked up the spoon.

"How do you humans say? - Cheers!" he said and led his first spoon full of food to his mouth.

His HUD analysed the flavour and then separated the ingredients of all the things he had in his mouth. Then he started to chew, and the consistency was very strange for him. His expression changed remarkably.

"Not good?" Natalie asked, and Connor looked back at her, slightly doubtful.

Then he shook his head. "It smells good, but the consistency is something I have to get used to," he said and then took another spoon full of the proteins and led it to his mouth. In his mind, a warning appeared. It said that the object looked like something that was made of styrofoam and he should consider not eating it. But then Connor put it into his mouth.

It wasn't something he liked, but he also wasn't disgusted by it.

"Please finish eating that until today evening, okay?" Natalie begged him and Connor nodded.

"Okay," he replied.

"I'll leave you alone for a while and will check on you later," she said and left the room.

"How was your day?" Connor asked his partner while he ate a little more.

"You better not ask..." Gavin replied, and Connor looked at him questioningly.

"Tell me while I'm eating and pretend it's the best I have ever eaten."

Gavin laughed slightly, and Connor grinned. "Fowler paired me up with a moron!"

Connor lifted his eyebrows.

"He's a colleague I've known for decades but who's absolutely bad at his job. I have to go on stakeouts with him, and he writes down every little bullshit. Even if people just have fun."

Connor nodded. "I understand," he said.

"But that's not important. How are you?" Gavin wanted to know, and Connor sighed.

"I can take a breath, and you're here. That's all that's important at the moment," he said and smiled at Gavin, who placed his hand on Connor's thigh.

"I missed you," Gavin said, and his voice was so soft that Connor could feel it right to his core.

He chewed the rest of the food in his mouth and swallowed. "I missed you too," Connor murmured and placed the spoon on the tablet before he leaned over to Gavin.

"Shouldn't you eat up?" Gavin asked, and Connor looked at him.

"I can do that later," he said and kissed Gavin on his mouth. "You... heard... what she... said," he mumbled in between his kisses. "Until... the evening..."

"Damn, Connor..."

They had been separated for just a few hours, but the desire for Gavin and his touch was so big for Connor that he had difficulties to hold himself back.

Gavin couldn't help but reply to his kisses. He cupped his cheeks and closed his eyes.

It was hard, but they behaved themselves. In the end, Gavin laid across the bed, leaned his head against the wall, and Connor had placed his head on Gavin's chest. The TV ran, but they didn't watch it. Instead, they enjoyed their proximity.

"If you're out of here I'm gonna take you for a nice dinner," Gavin told him, and Connor grinned.

"You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to that," he said, and Gavin pulled him into another deep kiss.

***

To say goodbye, was hard for both of them. Natalie, who joined them at the end, would have allowed Gavin to stay for the night. But since they would resume their work very early in the morning, she had to send Gavin home.

After he left, Natalie went over to Connor's bed and sat down beside him. He had eaten everything up, so she was content with him. She looked at Connor, who looked back.

"You honestly love him, don't you?"

Connor nodded slightly. "More than anything else. But don't think that we ever told each other," he said, and Natalie frowned.

"Seriously?" she asked, and Connor sighed.

"I never talked to anybody about it until yet."

"Why don't you just tell him?"

Connor took a deep breath. "It's not that easy, Natalie."

"Why not?"

He saw that she pitied him and avoided her gaze, just to shake his head. "There just wasn't the right time."

Natalie pulled Connor into a warm embrace.

***

The next step of the adjustment went just as planned. Natalie and her team worked on Connor in terms of his sensory system. Within this step, they pulled every sensor in the upper range and linked it to a new module, which had been created by Ryley. They installed the new module beside Connor's thirium pump. They scheduled the readjustment of his lower sensors for the next day and left it open to do the rest together with the last step.

They put Connor into a maintenance sleep again, because they didn't want to risk that he sensed anything while they worked on his system.

After they had finished and Natalie woke him up again, she looked very tired and exhausted. "We could couple most of your sensory system with the new module. But we have to do some other things tomorrow and also update your software. I'll have to sit down later and create the script, so it'll be prepared if needed."

"If it takes a day longer, it's not a problem. Don't overwork yourself!" Connor said.

Natalie just smiled at him, brought him some food later and had left him again.

Gavin came to visit him. He also brought some news, since he had managed to get the spare parts for Markus. He didn't get them all, but about 90 percent of the things on his list. Gavin reported that his work wasn't as bad as yesterday, but he still would be glad if the week would be over.

***

Gavin laid awake. Because for some reason, he couldn't sleep and was worried about Connor. He didn't feel good as well. It was not because he couldn't deal with his colleague. It was because Connor wasn't with him. It never even occurred to him that someone else would have such an impact on him. At least not an android!

What did Connor do to him? It was a question Gavin asked himself for weeks now, but never before did he let it get so near. He thought about everything they had gone through and noticed how his eyes started watering.

He turned on his belly and took the pillow in his arms. The feelings he had for Connor were much deeper than anything he had ever felt for anybody else. He didn't admit it so easily, but it was even deeper than what he had shared with Henry. As he thought about how they got to know each other and the fact that they couldn't even stand each other brought a smile to his lips.

If he thought about things in detail, he realised that he never told Connor about his feelings for him. Of course, they had shared certain things which already could tell how he thought about him. Well, after all, he paid for the whole thing Connor was going through at the moment. But he was happy to help.

He!  
Gavin!  
Reed!  
Was!  
Happy!  
To!  
Help!

Despite his past, it was almost bizarre. Because for others, he never even considered to take the extra mile. Just the thought of anything happening to Connor - That was a thing he couldn't deal with.

But there could also be another reason why he avoided it to tell Connor about his feelings. Every time he had done it within his past, something unpredictable happened. He was scared it could happen with Connor as well, even if he had to admit that with Connor almost everything turned out differently.

He would tell him... He would!

***

Before Gavin went to work the other morning, he got a call. He still laid in bed, so he wondered as his phone rang. He picked it up. "Yes? Reed here." He rubbed his eyes as he heard Markus's voice.

"Gavin? It's Markus. I wanted to ask how it's going with the meeting today night," he asked, and Gavin sat up.

"Hey, Markus. Yes, it will be fine. Same location?" Markus made an approving sound. "I've got good news by the way. I managed to get about 90 percent of the things you wanted."

"That sounds great!" Markus replied. He sounded excited, but also seemed to wonder a little.

"Okay, then we'll see each other tonight. What time was it?" Gavin asked Markus.

"Let's say at eleven?"

"Okay, eleven!" Gavin responded.

They said their goodbyes and Gavin was glad that he had called him at a point he still was a home. At work, Jamie might have become alert, and that was something Gavin wanted to avoid at all costs because that thing between Markus was not his business.

***

His shift with Jamie was nerve-wracking as always for Gavin. They sat in the car and just waited, this time on West Riverwalk. Jamie noted every other bullshit, and at some point, Gavin just had enough.

"We're here to observe and notice anything strange. Not to write down every other bullshit!"

Jamie put his pen and notepad into his bag and didn't say anything. Ten minutes later, he looked at Gavin.

"In a way, I don't wanna know what you're doing with your partner while you're on a stakeout."

Gavin frowned and looked back at him. "What the fuck do you mean?"

Jamie just shrugged his shoulders.

Gavin didn't like the thought of leaving him alone in his car, but he couldn't take it any longer and get out of it. After he had smashed its door, he went a few steps and took the pack of cigarettes out of his jacket. While he smoked, he checked his phone.

The distance to his partner was relieving. At least it was half-past one already. It wouldn't take much longer until he could drive back to the precinct and end his shift.

He also noticed that it got colder. All the people in the park wore beanies and scarfs. Some of them already wore gloves. Gavin had merely managed to grab his scarf this morning. According to the weather report, it should start snowing later.

***

After he had ended his shift, Gavin couldn't drive to Cyberlife soon enough. He didn't even bother to drive home first. He just got some take-away which he ate on his way.

As he arrived on the 45th floor within the Cyberlife Tower, Natalie already waited for him.

"Please, come with me," she asked him, and Gavin got nervous.

He didn't have a good feeling in his guts. "What's wrong?" he wanted to know, but she waited until they had entered her office and he had closed the door behind him.

"Connor doesn't feel as good as we hoped."

Gavin frowned. "What happened?"

"Actually nothing critical. But as it seems, something in his software is corrupted, and we couldn't fix it until yet. Some of his sensors are unhinged. But instead of feeling nothing, he is in pain."

"Why didn't you just turn off his whole sensory system?" Gavin asked, but Natalie shook her head.

"We can't! Otherwise, we would have to shut him down."

"And what now?"

"I'm gonna sit down and will write a patch to upload. I hope I can decrease his pain-sensitivity."

Gavin shook his head.

"I would've already done it, but since I knew you would come, I thought I should inform you beforehand and warn you."

Now Gavin nodded. "Okay..."

"Nevertheless, it's good you're here now. Maybe you can help him at least a bit."

Gavin took a deep breath. "Something else I should know?" he asked, but Natalie shook her head.

Finally, they entered Connor's bedroom. Connor laid in his bed with his arm placed on his forehead. His breath was irregular, and Gavin glanced at Natalie.

"His body is trying to cool down at all costs. His stress-level is constantly at 80 percent."

Gavin lifted his brows and looked on the monitor which was connected to a cable, leading to Connor's neck.

"I'll come back if I'm done with the patch," Natalie mumbled and left Gavin and Connor alone.

Gavin went over to the bed and pulled over the nearby chair to sit down. He grabbed for Connor's hand and just now his partner turned his head to Gavin.

"Gavin, I..." It was almost a whisper, but Gavin interrupted him.

"Shhh... Don't talk. I'm here," Connor replied, his voice soothing and calm. Softly he stroked Connor's hand.

So he was sitting there and waited for Natalie to come back. Gavin wanted to help Connor through this, just by being with him. It was obvious that he didn't feel well...

***

Within his inner self, Connor was in turmoil. In his mind palace, everything seemed chaotic. After Gavin had arrived, Connor had retreated and come here to compensate his pain. It had started after Ryley had connected a particular sensor. But Connor wasn't able to tell them, because he had been in his maintenance sleep.

He had asked himself why the group didn't even see it because it must have shown on the control monitors, but in the end, he couldn't do anything about it.

Within time, the alerts in his HUD became too much, and Connor would have loved just to run away from it or turn them off. That was also a reason why he had come here.

The weather was a little stormy. Also, there was the snow, which Connor had in here for some time now. He just laid on his Chaiselongue and waited. He sensed Gavin's presence, but he couldn't react properly to him.

"Everything will be fine, Connor," he heard Hank's voice beside him.

"Hank..." he murmured.

"Everything you're going through will pass, son. You got this." Hank's voice was soothing, so Connor sat up after a short while and looked at him.

"Maybe I've been a little too optimistic."

"Don't talk shit now. That something didn't go as planned doesn't mean all things will turn downhill."

"I hope so," Connor mumbled, and his former colleague placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm quite sure about that!" he said before he stood up.

Hank already went a few steps away from him, as Connor asked him this recurring question: "Hank?" he asked, and Hank turned around. "Why did you do that?"

Hank just smiled at him and left his mind palace.

***

It took another hour until Natalie showed up again. She went over to the bed and sat down.

"Connor?"

Gavin followed what was happening but didn't let go of his hand.

Now Connor opened his eyes a slit wide and looked at Natalie.

"I'm ready with the patch and will install it now to help you, okay?" Natalie said softly.

Connor just nodded and closed his eyes again. Gavin really pitied him and was worried about what would happen.

Natalie took the control monitor from his bedside table and applied an USB-Stick to its side. Gavin saw how she pressed a few buttons and how Connor's eyelids started twitching. His breath became erratic before it completely stopped.

The procedure took around two minutes, and Gavin noticed on the monitor, how Connor's stress level slowly decreased. In the end, it went down to 20 percent.

"That's better than nothing," Natalie mumbled.

Connor turned his head to Gavin and opened his eyes.

"Hey, you feel better?" Gavin asked, and Connor nodded, even if he still looked very exhausted.

Natalie reached for a small flashlight with which she controlled Connor's eyes. "Much better," she said with a smile and brushed over his arm. "I'll bring you something to eat, okay?" Then she glanced at Gavin. "Just let pass another ten minutes, and he will be better, you'll see," she said, and Gavin nodded.

After she had left the room, Connor turned a little in his bed, so he could see Gavin better.

Gavin moved a little closer with his chair and cocked his head. With one hand he still held Connor's hand, with the other he stroked through his hair and over his cheek. Then he leaned forward and kissed Connor gently on his mouth. "Everything will be okay, you'll see," he said after he pulled back and Connor gave him a weak smile.

They didn't talk that much through the afternoon. Later Gavin told him about the meeting with Markus.

"You got this!" Connor comforted him. "Just behave yourself!" he said with a grin on his lips, which Gavin replied.

"Of course," Gavin reassured him.

***

Gavin didn't want to leave that day, but at ten he said goodbye. He bent down on him, placed a kiss on his forehead and his mouth before he smiled at him. "We'll see each other tomorrow, won't we? Then the worst is probably over," he said confidently, and Connor nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Detective," Connor replied and smiled slightly.

After he had left the room, he also met Natalie again.

"I'm very, very sorry that it went like this today. I wish it would be different."

Gavin wasn't even mad, and so he shook his head. "Sometimes things don't work out as planned."

Natalie sighed. "I hope tomorrow's section will turn out better. After that, we're fortunately done."

Gavin nodded. "He wanted this. Don't blame yourself, but please: Look after him."

"Of course," she replied, and Gavin told her goodbye.

"If there's anything, please call me, and I'm on my way!" he said, and Natalie nodded.

***

Back in the car, Gavin leaned back and closed his eyes. He had held on his composure for the whole time, but inside of him, he was honestly worried. He didn't like to admit it, but he was scared to lose him. How he had laid in his bed, his look... Gavin felt reminded of Henry, and for a moment, he had to restrain himself.

Within an instant, he smashed his fist on the steering wheel, and again and again.

He bit his lips and let his head drop backwards. Gavin already had lost a partner... He didn't want to experience this ever again. More out of anger than out of sadness, tears gathered in his eyes.

Only when he had calmed down and realised that he had exaggerated with hitting the steering wheel. Then he started the engine and made his way to Lakefront Park.

***

The snowflakes got bigger as Gavin arrived at Lakefront Park. He took his backpack out of the trunk and looked up. It reminded him of the moment Connor had told him that he liked the snow. Inwardly Gavin hoped he could enjoy such moments with him again... hopefully very soon.

On his way to the bridge, he pulled up his hoodie and took a deep breath. He would stick with this thing. In the meantime, he was sure that he had done something wrong within the last years. His whole hate for androids had vanished with his confession to Connor and the love he had received from him.

He didn't notice first how two shadows approached him. But then he lifted his glance and was looking right at Simon and Markus.

"Hey Gavin," Markus greeted him and nodded.

"Hi Markus," Gavin put down his backpack and took the list out of the inner pocket of his jacket. "I brought what I was able to get. With the other things, we have to try some other time. They weren't in stock at the moment."

Markus took the list from him and checked through it. "That's more than we would have expect. Thank you, Gavin," Markus replied, and Gavin looked at him.

Simon took the backpack.

"Do you have any news for us?" Gavin asked, but Markus shook his head.

"North has been at particular locations but didn't have any success. But we'll keep on trying."

Gavin nodded. 

"How's Connor doing?" Markus wanted to know what hit a sensitive mark on Gavin at the moment.

"He's... He's fine!" he tried to hold on his composure, but Markus noticed that something was off.

"Really?" he asked, and Gavin avoided his glance. "Gavin, if something is wrong with him, we have to know this. We rely on you."

Now Gavin lifted his hand. "He's okay. Everything will be fine." He took a deep breath before he started to explain. "They made a mistake with his programming. But they're working on it."

Markus didn't seem to be very convinced.

"Everything is okay," Gavin said again, more to calm himself down and to be aware that Connor wasn't in danger.

"We're counting on you!" Markus said, and Gavin nodded.

"As soon as I picked him up, I'll get in touch with you, okay?" Gavin said.

"Okay."

On his way back to the car, Gavin hoped that he didn't fuck it up. On the other hand, he also couldn't deny that everything was okay. He was worried! Everything would be fine if Connor was finally home again.

***

Natalie had programmed Connor's software to make it possible for him to sleep a little overnight. The other morning she woke him up and Connor already felt much better. Today would follow the last step of his adjustment, and he was able to see it optimisticly.

She brought him over to the particular room, where he had spent so many hours for the last two days, and he sat down on the table. The other two weren't here yet. Connor assumed they would change clothes in another room.

He looked around while Natalie placed the necessary tools on a table beside and which they would need through that last step.

Then another table caught his eye, and it woke his interest. "Natalie, is that...?" he asked, and she looked up from her table and followed his glance.

"Well... yes, that's..." She cleared her throat and went over to the small table to roll it over to Connor.

On it, there were several plastic components. One of them was Connor's new biocomponent, which came into action with today's step of his adjustment.

Connor didn't really know what to say, but Natalie could see how he blushed slightly. "Well, yes..." Connor couldn't help but grin.

"Is it too small?" Natalie asked with a cheeky tone in her voice, and Connor laughed.

"I don't think so," he replied. "But what do I know? I don't know that many, tho." He chuckled.

"What do you think, how will Gavin react?" Natalie asked him, and Connor looked at her.

"You don't ask this seriously, do you?" he responded and lifted an eyebrow, but Natalie gave him a telling look. He sighed. "Let's put it this way: I don't have to hide from Gavin with it." Now he bit his tongue and couldn't help but laugh a little.

***

Meanwhile, Jamie challenged Gavin's temper. Gavin was already a bit grumpy today, but his colleague teased him to the bone. He was so happy that it would be the last day he had to work with him.

They sat in Gavin's car, and Jamie just had taken out a Sandwich and started eating. Gavin didn't eat anything at all until yet. He wanted to wait until noon. Also, his sense of smell played some tricks on him, and he cranked his window down because Jamie's sandwich spread such an awful scent that it made him nauseous.

"How is this going with your partner and you anyway?"

Gavin lifted a brow. Did he really have the balls to talk about that topic?  
"What do you mean?" Gavin asked, but he knew, if Jamie asked the wrong questions, he would tell him to fuck off.

"I saw you leaving together after shift's end."

Now Gavin looked at him. "And? What's it to you?" He looked back through the windshield.

"I also see you coming to work together in the morning. Doesn't he have a room for himself at the precinct?"

Gavin didn't answer and just turned his head in Jamie's direction.

"Have you turned among those who hook up with androids regularly?"

One more question like this and Gavin would forget himself.

"You're not going to the clubs to score some chicks, are you?" Jamie asked amused, and Gavin noticed, how his heart rate increased. He didn't say anything yet, but deep within him, his blood was already raging.

"But how would he do that anyway? He surely doesn't even possess the needed equipment!"

It was the last straw, and Gavin grabbed for his lapel to pull him towards himself. "I'm gonna tell you something, smartass. It's not your fucking business what I'm doing with Connor if we're leaving work. You're not gonna mention him, you're not going to think about him, and you'll stop to piss me off with your stupid questions. I don't like you! It's an open secret if you didn't get it until yet. And that's also the reason why you're not gonna talk to me ever again."

He had to pause for a moment. Otherwise, he would have punched Jamie and beat the crap out of him.  
"I showed you years ago what I think of people coming too close to me, haven't I? You might remember it very well, don't you?" Gavin asked, and Jamie nodded. "I kept my mouth shut, even though I got a warning from Fowler. But we both know exactly, that I could have reported you because you offensively tried to hit on me."

Gavin made a diabolic pause. "We'll end this fucking week, and that's it! Got it?"

Jamie seemed so overwhelmed by Gavin's reaction, that he didn't answer immediately.

"Got it?" Gavin's voice got a little louder, and Jamie swallowed before he nodded.

Now Gavin let go of him. "Good!"

Gavin took a deep breath and leaned back in his seat. After this vent of fury, he definitely felt better. Whether it had been so good at this point, was highly questionable. Jamie was a stupid asshole. Gavin did not doubt that.

But some stupid asshole could also be highly dangerous...

***

They had put Connor in a deep sleep before they had started working on him. Natalie made sure that he didn't feel anything while they went through the last step of his adjustment.

Ryley helped to coordinate with his sensory system and installed another circuit board which connected to the lower part of Connor's body to his sensory system. The step Natalie had mentioned in their conversation, in terms of his Thirium loss, went pretty well.

Connor lost some Thirium, but it would be easy to apply it later if he was awake again. Connor wasn't aware of any of this. He just woke up around five hours later, they were done.

"He's awake again," he heard Natalie's voice and his optical system focussed slowly.

"Hey sweetheart," Natalie mumbled, and Connor noticed that someone controlled his eyes with a flashlight and he blinked.

Connor had some trouble to gain consciousness, but then he was wide awake. "Did everything go well?" he asked and saw how Natalie nodded.

"Couldn't have turned out better," she replied, and Connor couldn't help but show a happy smile.

Connor just noticed Ryley leaving and closing the door behind him.

"We adjusted your software as well. Everything is running as it should."

Connor looked at her a little nervous, and she pulled the chair a little closer to the bed and sat down with him. His thoughts raced.

He was complete... He was...

Within the next moment, he had to pull himself back not to lift his blanket to look if everything was fine. He paused in his movement since Natalie was still with him. Absolute nonsense, since she had seen him like this. But he felt a little shame, regardless.

But Natalie wouldn't be Natalie if she didn't notice Connor's insecurity. "You can take a look at it if you want to. Just think as if I wasn't here," she said, and Connor laughed a bit. Well then...

As he lifted his blanket, he noticed how his heart rate increased. He was so excited as he looked down on himself. He was speechless. Everything was just as it should be and Connor lowered the blanket again.

"Everything okay?" Natalie asked because she couldn't interpret Connor's expression.

But Connor's voicebox felt as if it was broken. "Everything..." He made a repulsing gesture with his hand and sat up in his bed. A full range of emotions overwhelmed him, and he had to support his head with his hands. Then he sensed, how fluid gathered in his eyes.

Natalie stood up and pulled him into a tight embrace.

His time having doubts was over. He could finally live like a usual human. The feelings of dysphoria would disappear.

Connor could finally be who he always wanted to be.

***

Before he drove back to the precinct, Gavin's phone rang. He looked on its display, and as he saw Natalie's number, he got out of the car and went a few steps ahead. It felt like an eternity, and he was scared Natalie would have bad news for him. Just now, he noticed the cold temperatures. His breath emanated in the shape of clouds out of his mouth.

"Natalie? What's up?" he asked with hope in his voice.

"He's ready! You can pick Connor up if you like."

All this tension just fell off of Gavin, and for a moment, he wasn't able to talk. Instead, a lump appeared in his throat, and he had to close his eyes.

"Gavin? You're still there?"

Gavin nodded even if he knew that Natalie didn't see him and so he pressed out his answer.

"Yes! Is he okay?" he asked.

"Yes. He's fine. He's going to eat something and then we'll wait until you pick him up."

"Okay!" Gavin replied, and Natalie said her goodbye.

Gavin put his phone back in his jacket's pocket and just looked up to heaven. Connor was fine! Everything had worked out well, and he couldn't wait to pick him up. A look at the clock told him that it was just about 15 minutes he had left with Jamie, so he took a deep breath. He would overcome the time.

He also decided that he would take the other day and the weekend off. Gavin just had to talk about it with Jeffrey. It would be good for Connor and even for him to spend a little time together. After all, they had gone through.

Jamie didn't even dare to talk to him as Gavin came back to the car. But Gavin also didn't have the urge to talk to him.

After Gavin had arrived back at the DPD, he went straight to Fowler's office. Just as he climbed up the stairs, he noticed that Fowler had seen him. Fowler gave him a quick gesture to come in, and Gavin opened the door.

"What's up, Gavin?" Fowler asked.

"I got the call to pick Connor up. I also wanted to ask you if I can have the day off tomorrow as well as the weekend."

"Did something happen?" Fowler asked, and Gavin had to admit that he sounded a little worried. 

Gavin shook his head. "No, he's is fine. I was just told that he might not be able to work tomorrow. I could offer you to work in the evening with a stakeout or something on Saturday if this is okay."

Fowler thought about it for a moment. "How was it with Wallace?" he wanted to know, but Gavin shook his head.

"No comment..." Gavin's expression told Fowler all he needed to know, that it didn't work out well with him.

"Did you see something?"

"No!" Gavin kept it short. He just wanted to get this over with.

Fowler took some time until he decided, but then he nodded. "Fine... Then I'm going to see you on Monday again. We have to solve this case!"

"Thank you, Jeffrey! Thank you!" Gavin said and left his office.

On his way to his car, Gavin didn't even look at Jamie but went straight outside. He just wanted to see Connor.

***

Even if the food Natalie had served him today tasted like nothing, he ate it all up without any complaint. He would finally go home, and Gavin would hopefully pick him up soon. As much as he had wanted the adjustment, he was happy to go home.

"Are there even any restrictions about what I can eat and what not?" Connor asked Natalie, who still sat down with him.

"We created a code of conduct, as you will, about what's good and what isn't. In it, you'll also find particular hints about other things you have to take care of."

Connor could picture it what she meant by that, and so he nodded.

"Did Gavin tell you when he would show up?" Connor asked, but Natalie shook her head.

"No."

Then Natalie's phone rang, and she looked at its display. She stood up and went over to the door to open it and take a look outside.

Some moments later, Connor heard someone outside, hastily walking across the floor, and Natalie stepped beside to open the door a little more.

As Gavin stepped over the threshold and went over to Connor, the latter immediately stood up, and they fell into each other's arms. Gavin pressed Connor against himself, while Connor buried his face in the crook of his neck.

But then Gavin couldn't hold up any longer and looked at his partner to finally kiss him. Connor replied it willingly.

Natalie had closed the door behind her and stood there. She had her arms crossed on her chest and looked at the ceiling while she smirked.

"I'm so happy you're here," Connor murmured, and he cupped Gavin's face. He felt Gavin's stubble below his fingertips and inhaled his typical scent. He had been with him yesterday, but for Connor, it already had felt like an eternity. He wasn't even aware of how much he had missed him. Now Connor gave him another short kiss.

"I can leave you alone if you like," Natalie mumbled, and they grinned at her.

"I think I'm taking him home first!" Gavin said and pressed Connor against himself again.


	18. The first cup of coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor drinks his first cup of coffee and learns how to cook.
> 
> He's also slightly scared of the first night, he'll be with Gavin after his adjustment...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for this Chapter: slight anxiety(?)

On their way to the car, they held each other's hands and just parted before they got into the car.

Gavin started the engine and made his way home. From Natalie, he got a binder with some notes and other stuff in it. It should help them to get to know Connor's new features better. But at the moment he was just glad if he would arrive at home, together with his partner. Also, they had the next day off, so as well as the weekend.

As Connor stepped over the threshold of Gavin's apartment, he finally felt home again. It just felt familiar for him. Gavin's apartment had become his pole of tranquillity. Here he found security and could come to rest without worrying about anything.

Gavin passed by after he had closed the door and embraced him with one arm. He placed a kiss on his cheek.

Connor looked at him, and there it was again: this sudden gesture which had become something like their mantra. He leaned his forehead against Gavin's. He gave him a short kiss and Gavin replied it before he pulled back again.

Gavin went over to the kitchen to set up the coffee machine. "Maybe I should go and buy stuff. Now that we're both eating, we'll need some more food. What's left in the fridge won't last for the weekend."

Connor couldn't even tell him what he liked, and that was a problem. So Connor asked himself if it would be better if he joined him.

"I think we'll have the opportunity to get some take-away the next days or I'll take you out for dinner as I already promised."

"We also can get something on our way home from work, can't we? If you don't mind," Connor replied, whereas Gavin started to grin.

"That might be difficult!"

Connor frowned. "Why?" he asked, and Gavin looked at him.

"Guess who managed to get the day off and also the weekend."

Connor started grinning. "You haven't..."

"I have..." Gavin replied and grinned back at him. Now that he had set up with the coffee machine, Gavin went over to Connor. 

He had sat down on the couch in the meantime.

Gavin bent over him so that Connor had to lean back a bit. "We have the whole next three days off and much time to keep ourselves busy. We can finally spend a little time together," Gavin said, and Connor smiled before Gavin kissed him repeatedly.

As long as the coffee wasn't ready, they sat on the couch and Connor leaned against Gavin. They just looked at each other and kissed once in a while, while sharing a little tenderness.

But then it was time to celebrate a little premiere: Connor should taste his very first cup of coffee.

"I don't even know if I can drink it," Connor said and picked up the binder Natalie had given them. He leafed through the pages and everything he got to see, surely would be very interesting to discover later. Finally, he arrived at the pages with the foods and drinks, which he was allowed to consume.

Natalie and her team had written down many things, but the list of the drinks was relatively small. But coffee was definitely a part of it - Together with a dash of milk!

"Would you please add a little milk to my cup, please?" he told Gavin.

"More or less?"

"I think a little more will do."

Gavin shook his head before he added some milk and brought over their both cups to the couch.

"I'm very curious about how this tastes. Especially because you drink it like other people consume water." Connor said, looking into the cup.

Gavin nipped on his coffee, but it was too hot - Once again.

Then Connor led his cup to his lips and gave Gavin a quick look from the side. It felt warm, but not too hot. The coffee touched his tongue, where it set every sensor on fire. His receptors escalated, and he analysed its taste. He let the coffee melt on his tongue before he swallowed it.

"Damn..." he mumbled, and Gavin couldn't help but grin.

"You understand now why I just can't get enough of it?"

Connor sighed and nodded. "This is amazing," he replied and took another sip.

"This thing with the coffee is as similar as with you..." Now Connor looked at Gavin. "I can't get enough from you either." Gavin noticed how Connor blushed and got slightly blue on his cheeks.

"Gavin..." Connor said, and grinned.

Gavin placed his chin on Connor's shoulder and just looked at him. "I really missed you," he mumbled, and Connor replied his glance.

"You too," he said.

***

"Do you think it was the right choice?" Connor asked Hank around one hour later in his mind palace.

Gavin had gone to the grocery store to get some food and Connor used his time alone to talk to Hank in the meantime.

His former colleague had sat down on a bench with him and looked at him, his glance full of empathy. "It is what you always wanted, isn't it?"

Connor nodded in return. "Do you think he'll like it?" he asked, and Hank laughed, slightly mocking.

"I already told you, you shouldn't think about such things too much."

Connor was just insecure. But since Gavin had picked him up, another concern bothered him, additionally to his already long list of concerns. "I never thought of being worried about how... well how it's going to be... I mean..."

"You're not gonna start to think about how he'll deflower you, are you?"

Connor looked at him.

"I'm begging you. You both passed this point long ago." Hank said.

"Yeah, I'm not worried about the "how", it's more the "when"."

Hank didn't really know how to answer his question.

"Since we're back home, he doesn't leave me alone anymore. I'm scared that I might be overwhelmed or something."

"Connor, how often have I told you that you just should do, what you really want?" Hank didn't argue with him. He just reminded him about what was important.

"You're right. Maybe I'm just too nervous at the moment if it comes to this topic."

"And that's completely normal. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but... You've got a partner in Gavin, who cares about you feeling good. Maybe more than anybody else. It couldn't be better, to be honest." Hank explained.

Connor took a deep breath and looked up. It still snowed in his mind palace, but he also noticed the sun coming out a bit. Then he sensed Hanks hand on his shoulder.

"You've got this, son."

Connor nodded slightly before Hank stood up and walked a few steps. "Hank?" Connor asked his everlasting question, and his former partner turned around to look at him. "Why did you do that?" Connor continued, but Hank just smiled at him and made his way.

***

Connor left his mind palace the moment Gavin entered his apartment again. He opened the door with his foot, his hands full of bags of food. "I have to go downstairs again. I'll be here in a minute," he said and left again after he had placed the bags on the floor.

Connor stood up and went over to pick up the two bags. He carried them over to the kitchen counter. The weight wasn't a problem for him at all. Connor was strong enough.

Shortly after, Gavin came back. Together they placed the stuff in the fridge. It would be enough for the whole weekend, and Gavin already had said that they would also order something.

Inwardly, Connor was looking forward to sharing some time with Gavin.

A little later they sat on the couch and Connor flipped through Natalie's binder, which she had given them. Before they started to cook something, it was important to find out what he could eat and what his body would convert into energy.

The list of foods was long. So Gavin wasn't worried about finding something that would fit. Connor had to pass on things like alcohol, but that wasn't a problem for him.

"I just decide at this point, that you're gonna help me to cook something, my dear!" Gavin said and looked at Connor.

Connor lifted his brows.

"I'll teach you how to cut an onion and will watch, how you're gonna start crying like a little girl," he said in a mocking tone, and Connor's look got a bit gloomy.

"Are you mocking me?" Connor asked, and Gavin cocked his head before he replied to his glance and nodded slightly.

"Yes..."

Now Connor had to laugh softly, and as he realised that Gavin didn't stop to grin, he placed Natalie's binder aside and jumped at Gavin, who was forced to lean back. But he wasn't eager to prevent Connor from sitting astride on his lap and pinning down his arms beside him.

"You're quite bitchy, looking at what I have taken on myself!"

Gavin just showed him a crooked smile. "You think that?" he asked, and Connor nodded whilst he looked down on him.

He pressed his arms further down and bent forward to lean over him. "Yeah, I think so!"

"Well, then you have to punish me!" Gavin suggested in a seductive tone and Connor smirked.

He leaned further down until he was just a few inches apart from him and stopped. "You'll see, I'm getting the right idea for this," he replied and loosened the grip before his hands hovered up to Gavin's to interlace with them.

"In a way, I doubt that," Gavin murmured and stretched his head to kiss him.

But Connor pulled his head back to let him starve. "Don't be too sure about that. Maybe it will happen if you just don't think about it." Connor's voice sounded conspiratorial, and he grinned. Then he complied with Gavin's request and leaned down to kiss him.

"Sometimes you're a little piece of shit, Gavin..." Connor murmured after he pulled back and Gavin gave him a meek look.

"Be honest, that's what you like about me."

Connor had to admit that Gavin wasn't wrong at all. "Maybe..." He grinned, which Gavin replied.

***

There wasn't much space in Gavin's kitchen. But they didn't care. Gavin was busy to place the ingredients as Connor pulled a big knife out of the knife block.

"Hey, hey, hey," Gavin said as he saw how Connor looked at it and grabbed for it. "What do you want with that?" he asked and looked at Connor a little confused.

"Didn't you say I should cut an onion?"

"Not with such a knife!" Gavin opened a drawer and picked up another way smaller knife. "To cut an onion, you don't take a meat knife, my dear! Here, take this." He handed over the knife to Connor, who examined it. Then Gavin placed an onion right in front of him on the counter. Connor looked a little sceptical.

Gavin showed him how he peeled its first skin and how he cut it in half to handle it way easier.

For his first try, Connor did quite a good job. He cut it into small cubes, and Gavin praised him for his work.

They cooked Spaghetti Bolognese. One of the recipes Gavin definitely had mastered. He wasn't a great chef at all. But he couldn't hide, that he had a knack for it. Connor looked at him with interest, how he did every step, and he helped whenever he was able to.

Then Gavin took out a small spoon to taste the sauce. He thought for a moment and then nodded. "That's good." He took another spoon-full of sauce and held it in Connor's direction. "You wanna taste it?"

Connor lifted his brows, leaned forward and just had opened his mouth slightly, as Gavin grabbed his chin, turned his head and kissed him.

Then he pulled back and laughed softly. "You should see your face. Here..." he said, slightly amused and let Connor taste the sauce.

He was still a little surprised by Gavin's action, but then tasted the sauce on his tongue. Connor licked along his lips. "That's tasty," he replied, and Gavin seemed content.

A little later they sat down at the table, every one of them a plate with Spaghetti. Just now Gavin realised that it could happen that Connor probably would make a mess while eating. "Before you start eating, I should show you how it's done without being soaked in sauce," he said, and Connor cocked his head.

Gavin showed him how he could use his fork and spoon to his advances. He showed him how he could pick up the noodles and swirl them around to put them into his mouth.

Connor looked at him with interest and then tried it himself. He didn't have many problems to eat, but Gavin noticed that he spilt one or another splatter of sauce on his cheek and his chin.  
"This is really good," Connor said, while he enjoyed his noodles.

After they had finished eating, Gavin stood up and placed his and Connor's empty plates on the counter. Then he came back to Connor. "Look at me," he asked him to, and Connor complied to his wish. He brushed over Connor's chin with his thumb before he placed a kiss on his mouth.

"You've had some sauce there," he murmured, and Connor smirked.

"Be honest, you just say this because you can't take your hands off of me," he responded, and Gavin grinned.

"Well, you're not wrong, but there was a slight splatter of sauce too."

***

In the evening they got comfortable in front of the TV. Gavin had bought some Snacks to nibble, but Connor kept himself busy with Natalie's binder again.

He discovered that everything in terms of sex would be as natural as possible. Just like with any other human man. With a small difference...

"Gavin?" Connor asked.

"Hm?" Gavin replied and turned his head to Connor. He chewed on a pretzel stick while he looked on the page Connor showed him and read the paragraph, Connor was pointing at.

The said paragraph explained that Connor couldn't produce natural ejaculate, but he could simulate it if he wanted to. Gavin read the details and just looked back at Connor, completely impersonal.

For Connor instead, it had an embarrassing taste, even if he had started that topic.

"I could get you some if you want to," Gavin suggested, and Connor didn't know what to answer. But Gavin didn't pressure him further and just turned his head in TV's direction again. "Just think about it. You just need to say something."

On one hand, Connor was glad about Gavin being that open with him. On the other, he was asking himself if he really needed this option.

The whole range of information which Natalie had collected was quite interesting to Connor. As he had finished the binder, Gavin took it out of his hand and leafed through it himself. But after a short while - he wasn't even finished - Gavin placed it back on the table. He wanted to discover things for himself without any preparation.

***

It wasn't very late as they decided to go to bed.

Uncertainty arose in Connor because he didn't know what would happen now. But in the end, he had to wait and see. He laid down in the bed after he had brushed his teeth and waited for Gavin. Inwardly, he tried to calm himself down, but in his guts, that familiar flutter of dozen of butterflies emerged anew. All these things were so unknown to him, and that made him insecure.

Then Gavin came back from the bathroom and laid down beside him. Just a small lamp on the bedside table shone, so it was quite comfy, and it dipped everything in a pleasant bluish tone.

Connor slipped a little to the side, and Gavin approached him to take him in his arms. He just had placed a kiss on his forehead, and his hand brushed over his shoulder as he noticed Connor's shivering breath. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm a little too excited," Connor mumbled and snuggled closer to his partner.

Gavin stroked through his hair while he was a bit lost in thought. Then he narrowed his eyebrows and looked at him. "You don't think I would..?"

"Hm?" Connor replied and looked at him.

Gavin lifted an eyebrow now. "You didn't think I would bang you the day you're coming home, did you?" he said, and Connor realised that he had hit the nerve of his uncertainty.

Connor blushed, and now Gavin started laughing softly.

"I thought you would know me better by now. I'm not going to overwhelm you with this right now. I'm just happy that you're finally home again at the moment, so you don't have to worry about this," he told Connor and took a load of Connor's mind.

"It happens if it happens, and that doesn't mean it has to happen right now. Take your time with this!" Gavin murmured. "We have all the time in the world," he continued, and Connor couldn't help but snuggle even closer.

After Gavin had turned off the light, they laid there like this for a while. Gavin stroked Connor's hair until he fell asleep.

Connor remained in his arms for the whole night. He was just happy to have such a good partner.

He was finally home again.

***

The other morning as Connor woke up, he still laid face to face with Gavin, still wrapped in his arms. He noticed Gavin's fingers in his hair and how he brushed through them in his sleep. Connor lifted his hand and hovered over his skin, his chest and collarbone.

Gavin replied with a slight hum, and he pulled Connor against him, to turn over the next moment.

Connor, who now laid below him on his back, tried to look at Gavin, who had buried his face in the crook of his neck. Still a little tired, Gavin lifted his head.

"Morning," he mumbled and placed his chin on Connor's chest after he had slipped a little downwards.

"Good morning," Connor replied and stroked his hair.

Because of his fatigue, Gavin couldn't even open his eyes properly as he threw a look over to the clock. Then he looked back at Connor. "Promise that you never stay away from me this long again. The bed has been so empty without you."

Connor couldn't help but smirk. "If I can avoid it."

Gavin placed a kiss on Connor's collarbone and then on his throat.

Connor enjoyed his endearment and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he looked at Gavin again.

"Just stay in bed for a while. I'll go and take a shower and get us some breakfast, okay? In the meantime, you can shower without a ruffle." Gavin said.

Connor thought about it for a moment and nodded.

Gavin reared up and looked down on Connor. Once more, he leaned down, nudged Connor's nose with his and kissed him softly before he pulled back again and smiled at him.

***

Connor took his time in the shower, just as Gavin had told him. For him, showering had turned into something he didn't want to miss anymore. It was just relaxing for him and felt good.

After he came out of the shower, he heard Gavin dealing with the breakfast in the kitchen. Connor looked into the mirror and wiped away the damp, which had collected on its surface. Connor had changed within the last few weeks. Because of his development, it wasn't strange in the end.

But now he tried something he had never considered before. He knew he was able to change his appearance, so Connor brushed his hair before he played a little with its length. On his sides and back, they got a little shorter, but his main hair became much longer. He brushed them to the side, but let a few strands of hair hang down on his forehead.

Connor liked it. How was that called? Semi-Undercut? - Well, it fit him very well.

He looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile slightly. Connor had changed... He finally felt more and more like himself.

***

When he came back to the living room, just with a towel around his hips, he still heard Gavin working in the kitchen.

"Gavin?"

"Yes?"

"Can I borrow some of your clothes?"

The cluttering in the kitchen suddenly stopped.

"Yes, of course. Just look on the right side of the wardrobe. The clothes hanging there should fit you better than me. But take whatever you want!" Gavin said, and Connor went over to the bedroom.

Gavin's wardrobe was very tidy which made Connor wonder. Everything had its place. Connor started with getting an overview and took just what was necessary. Furthermore, he took a pair of black jogging pants and a Flannel-shirt which had a pattern in blue, white and black.

Before he put it on, he held Gavin's shirt in his hands and couldn't hold himself back. He stuck his nose deep into the fabric to smell Gavin's smell. It was such a blessing for him, and this feeling wandered deep down inside him.

Gavin's smell always had been one of the things that put a spell on Connor and what he absolutely loved on him. The shirt also was very soft. Connor finally put it on and left it open.

As Connor came back to the kitchen, he saw that Gavin was almost finished. Now he also looked at him for the first time since he had come back from the bathroom.

Connor noticed that Gavin knew that he had changed something with his hair because he paused in the middle of his movement and just looked at him in surprise.

Then a slight grin appeared in Gavin's face, and he blinked. "You changed your hair," he said, and Connor nodded.

"Do you like it?" he said with a slight hint of insecurity and Gavin nodded.

"Fits you well," Gavin replied and touched a few locks of hair, which hung down his forehead into his face. Then his hand hovered over his cheek, his neck, down to his shirt. "You're aware that this is my favourite shirt if I'm at home, aren't you?"

Connor didn't know and lifted his brows. "If I should take it off, you just need to say something."

His ambiguous statement brought up a smile on Gavin's face, and he shook his head. "Maybe later. We should eat something first," he suggested.

Gavin had made an effort to present Connor a little bit of everything to taste it. He had fried some eggs, which tasted differently than the stuff Connor had tasted at Cyberlife. Additionally, he had prepared some Bacon, Cheese and typical stuff, that belonged to every breakfast.

"Do you have something in mind for the upcoming weekend?" Connor asked Gavin while he took a sip of his coffee, but Gavin shrugged his shoulders.

"To be honest, I didn't plan anything. I just want to enjoy our free time with you."

Connor looked at him.

"We have been separated from each other long enough. Also, be honest - Did we ever had time to care for ourselves? Just the two of us? Since everything started, we've been on stakeouts, shared our time elsewhere and all the stress we've been through. We didn't have much time, did we?" Gavin explained.

"Sadly we didn't," Connor replied. Gavin was right. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea at all to have a few days off of work.

"I also promised Markus to get in contact with him if you're at home again."

Just now Connor noticed that he didn't ask him how their meeting had been. "Did everything go well at the meeting?"

"Yes. He asked me for you, and I had to tell him that you didn't feel good, but everything else turned out well." Gavin told him.

"What did he respond?" Connor asked, and Gavin looked down on his food while picking around in it with a fork.

"I told him everything will be fine."

"Did he believe you?"

"I guess he did." He paused for a moment. "In the end, he didn't have any news for us either."

Connor pulled a face while he chewed on his food and realised that Gavin was looking at him with a slight hint of distrust.

"I don't want to imply anything, but we have to be careful. Not that he will end up screwing us."

Connor frowned.

"I mean, we're getting spare parts for him and Thirium, and in the end, nothing further happens. It would be fatal and wouldn't help us to solve our case." Gavin was careful with how he worded things.

Connor nodded. He still didn't believe that Markus was a threat, but you never knew.

Throughout the breakfast, Connor realised that he liked eggs if it weren't scrambled eggs! The consistency was still strange for him, but if the egg had been cooked, he liked it. He ate it with a slice of bread and a bit of marmalade. Especially strawberry-marmalade hit his taste. In addition to that, he ate some cheese.

Gavin was sure that he would find more and more things he would like if some time had passed and he would develop his preferences. After all, Connor just had started to taste things.

After Gavin had finished his breakfast, he supported his head with his fist while he leaned his arm on the table. He observed Connor, who looked back at him before he put the last bite of his breakfast into his mouth.

"I've got a Twink as a boyfriend. I can't believe it..." Gavin mumbled, and Connor narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Connor responded, and Gavin laughed.

"Nothing..." Gavin replied in an amused tone, and Connor shook his head.

Of course, it would be easy for him to find out what a "Twink" was. But he wasn't sure if he wanted to know it. He let Gavin have his fun.

Because while Connor looked at Gavin, he seemed quite happy and this was everything he was interested in at the moment.


	19. Forming a picture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor gets another insight into Gavin's past.
> 
> But he also gets closer to Gavin and reveals the secret to him, to whom he truly belongs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have fun with this chapter ;)
> 
> CWs for this chapter: memories, mutual masturbating

After breakfast, they decided to go on a stroll.

Gavin wore his winter parka for the first time this year. It was a little warmer and thicker than his leather jacket. He added a scarf to it and also wore his winter boots.

For safety's sake, Connor wore his cap because he didn't want to be recognized, being an android. He just wanted to enjoy a relaxing stroll with Gavin.

Fortunately, Gavin's apartment was nearby a park, which was quite spacious. Large meadows and trees - It would have been perfect for a picnic within another season. In the middle of November, this would have been just a silly idea. Right now the meadows disappeared below a layer of snow. The white surface made everything colder, but also looked marvellous.

Connor noticed that he wasn't very attentive while they walked through the park. He just looked over to Gavin once in a while, who was telling him something. But he didn't really listen to him. Connor was more fascinated by the fact of how he was acting while having a free day. Gavin seemed relieved, relaxed.

Suddenly Gavin grabbed for Connor's hand, and Connor lifted his eyebrows in surprise. Didn't he avoid such things in general? Until now he always had kept his distance to Connor, especially if they had been out in the open.

But Connor let him. He was rather happy about Gavin being so openly. Gavin didn't seem to care about what everybody was thinking about him if he showed his affection for Connor. These small signs of tenderness showed him how much he meant to him.

The fresh air felt good. Even if Connor didn't need to breathe, he noticed how good it felt. The cold air refreshed his processors but also seeped into his chassis, which was just as pleasant for him.

They stayed for a while at the park, sat down on a bench and observed their surroundings. Once in a while, they exchanged glances, and they didn't need to talk. Connor felt as if they understood each other blindly.

While Connor still sat on the bench, Gavin suddenly stood up and took a look around. He moved a few steps away, and Connor just gazed dreamily into the distance. He noticed two children playing and a couple, who strolled along with their dog. Suddenly something hit him. Something cold and moisty - on his right shoulder!

Connor looked around a little startled and saw Gavin, giving him a shit-eating grin. On his jacket stuck some snow. Gavin had thrown a snowball at him!

"You fucking serious?" Connor asked him and couldn't help but grin.

Gavin nodded. He waited how Connor would react and prepared himself to grab some more snow if Connor would join him.

Connor waited for another moment before he jumped up and tried to get himself a snowball. Shortly after he had formed one in his hands, but until then, Gavin already had another, which he now threw at Connor. He just hit him by a hair's breadth. Connor ducked, turned around and threw his snowball after Gavin.

He hit him on his left shoulder.

"Ey!" Gavin complained, behaving as if he wasn't prepared for Connor to hit him.

But Connor just laughed and picked up some more snow, which he formed into another ball. As he hit Gavin with it again, this time on his hip, Gavin ran over to him, and Connor turned around to take flight.

But Gavin caught him because Connor slipped on the ground with his shoes and he stumbled. Gavin ran him over. Fortunately, they fell into the soft snow. Gavin leaned over him, on his lips the grin of triumph. "Gotcha!" Gavin said, and Connor smirked.

"Well done, detective!" Connor praised him, whereas Gavin's glance went soft and he gave him a short kiss.

Then Gavin heaved up and lend Connor a hand. They helped each other to pat the remaining snow from their clothes. Gavin also gave him a slight pat on his butt.

After that, they slowly but surely made their way back home.

***

After they had arrived home, they made something to eat, and Connor ate it with high delight. Even Gavin found it more interesting to cook now, especially since Connor tried to help him.

Until now, everything seemed to work out perfectly with Connor.

Even if the internet was heavily involved in everything within their daily life, Gavin still possessed some Blu-Rays. He was born in 2002, and this kind of media had been a standard through his whole youth. He flipped through them and searched for a movie they could watch together.

But before he could decide, there was another thing that caught his eye. It would distract them for a while.

"Oh my... I thought I had thrown it away somewhen." Gavin's voice was a little unsteady and Connor, who was busy with sorting the snacks on the table, now looked at him.

"What is it?" he asked with interest, but Gavin didn't answer. Connor stood up and went over to him. He knelt on the floor and saw how Gavin held an old shoebox in his hands and opened its lid. Connor waited patiently until Gavin explained what exactly he had there.

"These are pictures of my youth and... later..." he mumbled.

Among a lot of photos, it contained some more pictures, together with postcards, which Gavin had collected over the years.

Gavin took a photo out of the box and looked at it.

Connor could remember that Gavin had told him about his family. That his father had hit his mother frequently and that the scar on Gavin's nose was the result of his father, who had hit him with a poker.

Because of these things, the happy family in this picture was almost a mockery.

"This had been around a year before I left my parent's house," Gavin told him, and Connor brushed gently over his upper arm.

He could imagine that it wasn't easy for Gavin to talk about that.

But Gavin's look on the picture didn't last long. He placed it aside and picked up another photo out of the bunch. It showed him and a young woman. Gavin looked a little older on this picture. He held her in his arms and placed a kiss on her cheek, whereas she looked into the camera.

"What was her name?" Connor asked, and Gavin flipped the photo. On its backside stood a note:

_"Love you forever and ever and ever - Gwen."_

"A wonderful name," Connor said.

"To be honest, our names had been the reason why we got together."

"Really?" Connor asked, and Gavin nodded.

"Don't ask me for certain name heritage, but somewhen on High School, we had to research stuff like that, and it turned out that both our names are Scottish. We started dating and... Well, you already know what happened," Gavin continued, and Connor placed a kiss on his temple.

Gavin placed down the photo to the one of his parents and picked up a postcard out of the box. It was one of those typical cards you're sending your loved ones if you're somewhere on vacation. This one showed a brief overview of London with Tower Bridge and Big Ben. On its backside, something was written down. The handwriting seemed a little sloppy.

Connor read it and immediately knew that Henry had written it.

The things he wrote were telling, and Connor knew, that Gavin had meant a lot to him. Henry had written that he was feeling good, that he missed Gavin and that he hoped, he could be back soon. That he was amused by his female colleagues because they got dotty about him. Gavin shouldn't be worried and that he longed for coming back home.

Gavin took a deep breath. It wasn't easy for him to read all this stuff.  
"That's all I have left of him. We didn't even take a picture together or something like that."

Connor moved closer and placed his arms around his shoulders and leaned with his chest against Gavin's back.

One photo followed another. The whole box was a journey through Gavin's past. But even if Connor found it interesting, it was also quite sad.

"In the end, everything seems so nice and full of happiness. But to look at those now feels like a heavy burden laying on my shoulders." Gavin sighed.

"Without them, you probably wouldn't be here now," Connor told him.

"You're right," Gavin mumbled.

All of a sudden Gavin grabbed for the photos and put them back into the box. Then he turned his head to Connor, and they exchanged glances for a moment. Gavin placed a hand on Connor's arm, and Connor kissed him.

After he had pulled back again, Gavin gave him a tender look. "Go get your jacket and shoes. I've got an idea."

Connor seemed to be surprised, but Gavin just placed the lid back on the box and stood up. He didn't even have a clue what Gavin was up to. But he complied to his wish and put on his jacket and shoes.

Gavin led him to the backyard of his apartment block. Connor had never been here before. It was small, but enough to make a barbecue in summer and to sit together and talk. In its middle stood a fireplace and Gavin steered in its direction. He flipped one of the chairs beside it to shake off the layer of snow before he placed the box on it. Then Gavin picked up the lighter out of the inner pocket of his jacket together with his cigarettes.

After he had lit a cigarette, Gavin took the lid of the shoe box.

Right now Connor knew what he was up to and grabbed for Gavin's hand which held the lid of the shoe box. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, and Gavin looked at him.

Gavin took a drag of his cigarette and nodded. "Yes!" he replied.

Connor waited for another moment and let go of him.

Gavin glanced at him with a little smile and set the lid in his hand on fire. He let it fall into the fireplace. As the material burned good enough, Gavin grabbed for a bunch of photos and threw them into the fire.

Connor watched them curl up, how the flames devoured them piece by piece.

"I've mourned enough. It's over..." Gavin said and grabbed for some more photos. He threw them all into the fire, one after another, and Connor noticed that he seemed to feel better with every piece that was swallowed by the flames. Gavin let go...

The box was the last thing left. Gavin held the least photo in his hand, which showed his mother. He was thinking for a moment, but then he flipped it into the fire.

Connor got closer, and Gavin lifted his arm so he could lean on him. Gavin's cigarette almost burned down to its filter, and he took a last drag before he snapped it into the fireplace too.

They remained by the fire for a while and watched how everything got eaten by the fire. When Gavin was sure nothing was left, he picked up some snow and extinguished the fire with it. Everything sizzled, and he threw in some more. What hadn't been damaged by the fire, would be destroyed by the moist. It took a while until the fire was completely extinguished, and the last clouds of smoke got smaller.

Gavin looked up because it started raining. They waited for another few minutes, and Connor took Gavin's hand. Gavin leaned on his shoulder.

After Gavin was sure there wasn't any danger because of the fire, he looked at Connor, and they made their way upstairs again.

***

After they had eaten something again, they moved over to Gavin's bedroom. They wanted to enjoy the rest of the evening in bed, being close. The room was dipped into a bluish tone again, and they laid face to face, everyone on his side.

Connor had placed his hand in between them, whereas Gavin grabbed for it and interlaced with it. He placed a kiss on the back of Connor's hand and placed it down on the mattress again.

"I never thought it would be like this," Connor said, and Gavin smirked.

"You tell me. If someone had told me I would lay in bed with an android one day, thinking that this is the best thing that ever happened to me, I would have punched him in the face, I guess."

Connor grinned. "So many things have happened," he stated, and Gavin made a consenting sound.

"You know what's the good thing if you have an android as a partner?" Gavin asked, and Connor frowned. "You don't have to register it and manage the paperwork if it moves in with you."

Gavin never had said it that directly.

"You mean..?" Connor asked, and Gavin wiggled with his eyebrows.

"This is your home, tin-can." He placed another kiss on the back of Connor's hand. "I'm not gonna throw you out of here ever again. It's as much your home as it is mine."

The feeling of pure bliss rose in Connor. He wasn't a human, but he sensed how much this moment touched him. Suddenly something Markus had told him appeared in his thoughts. "I... I think I have to tell you something," Connor said, and Gavin's look became honest.

"Markus, he..." Connor paused for a moment. "As we had this meeting without you, he told me something I didn't know until then."

Gavin looked at him eagerly.

"Every android has something like an ownership certificate in its data storage. In it, you'll find information about its owner. In addition to that, it saves the date of when it was taken over. I don't have any access to this file. But Markus could." He bit his lips before he continued. "I don't really know how to say this but..." Connor said and buried his face into the pillow and look back at Gavin again.

"For any reason, I have changed my ownership certificate," Gavin's eyes widened as Connor told him that. "and I registered you as my owner."

Now Gavin was speechless for a moment. "Are you serious?"

Connor nodded. "I am... I was as surprised as you."

"When?" Gavin wanted to know.

Connor's glance got soft. "It was the night, where..."

Just as he had said the first few words, Gavin knew exactly what he was talking about.

"I don't even have any clue how it happened, but... I guess now you'll have to deal with me for the rest of your life. If you like it or not." Gavin bit on his lower lip and smirked slightly.

"I guess Fowler wouldn't like that at all," Gavin replied but grinned.

"Probably not. But then it will be our dirty little secret," Connor stated.

Gavin approached him a little closer, and Connor turned on his back. Their hands were still interlaced, and Gavin leaned over him to look down on him.

"I'm yours, Gavin..." Connor murmured.

With his free hand, Gavin brushed over Connor's cheek and leaned down to kiss him softly. Connor returned his kiss and closed his eyes.

Connor felt so close to him as never before...

He hesitated for a moment before he lifted his hand to Gavin's side and stroked over his side. As Gavin pulled back from him, Connor sighed.

"What... What you're up to, hm?" Gavin asked a little amused and Connor bit on his lower lip and grinned cheekily.

"Well..." he tried, and Gavin lifted his eyebrows.

"No, No... Not so fast." Gavin's voice was gentle, and he took Connor's hand, which he had placed on his side and kissed its fingertips, one after another. "At first, you have to discover yourself. You don't approach this with full force, my love!"

Connor's look at Gavin was priceless. It looked slightly distraught, and Gavin couldn't help but laugh. "You don't even know how it feels. First, you have to find out how everything works."

Now Connor was a little bit overwhelmed. He didn't even think that Gavin would turn down his attempts. Maybe this would have been the night he finally could feel close to Gavin. It was what Connor had wanted for the whole time. And now Gavin let him fidget!

"I already told you I wouldn't have sex with you just because you have the necessary equipment, haven't I?" Gavin said.

"But Gavin... how?" Now Connor seemed even more confused. Why didn't he want to have sex with him?

Gavin parted from him and laid back on his bedside. Connor turned around to look at him.

"You really don't know, stupid?" Gavin asked him softly and smiled. Gavin remembered that sometimes Connor didn't even know the simplest things. But how should he know if nobody ever showed it to him? - Of course, Connor had caressed and turned him on. But he had practically no experience in pleasing himself.

What now followed, felt very strange to Connor.

Gavin looked at him and separated from his hand. Then he grabbed for his blanket, which reached to his waist, to push it away. His hand slid back to his shorts, up to its elastic and shoved it slightly down followed by him stripping it off.

Connor lifted his head to observe him. He followed every move Gavin did. He watched how his partner stroked over his stomach, in particular with his fingertips. They slipped upwards to his chest.

In the shallow light of the room, Connor saw Gavin's fingertips caressing his pecs, while he kept his eyes shut. He thumbed his nipples, and his breath sounded shivering. Then he hovered down again. First, Gavin brushed over himself with the full width of his hand. His efforts seemed unsteady. For Connor's analysis, he didn't follow a particular pattern.

Just as Gavin wrapped his hand around his dick and sighed softly, Connor got aware of where this was going. He was still insecure. But what could be so bad about it? He longed for so long to be close to Gavin. So why not this way?

Connor sat up, and Gavin opened his eyes and looked at him while he stripped off his boxers. His thoughts raced. On the one hand, he was highly insecure, on the other he finally knew why Gavin had told him he should get to know himself first. He didn't have a clue how it would feel like, since he had never done it like this, nor he had the possibilities until yet.

He laid down on his side again and exchanged glances with Gavin. The latter stopped his movements and leaned over to Connor and kissed him. After he had pulled back, Gavin slipped a little closer and supported his head on his elbow. His touch was bare as his fingertips brushed over Connor's pecs, down to his pump regulator, which he encircled with his index finger.

Connor sensed, how Gavin's touch triggered a pleasant chill, which caused a shiver running down his spine. Furthermore, it didn't stop so suddenly. No, it led straight between his legs.

Through all his efforts, Gavin didn't dare to look down on Connor. Of course, he was curious and wanted to know what had changed. But he didn't want to be disrespectful.

But Connor took away his inhibition.

Gavin had held eye-contact for the whole time, which Connor now interrupted to let his gaze wander down on him. Gavin's eyes followed him, and Connor grabbed for his hand to lead them to his stomach and further down. He placed a soft kiss on Gavin's temple.

What Gavin beheld was way more than he had expected. He always had the thought that Connor was perfect. Connor's change convinced him even more. His fingers brushed over Connor's dick, and his glance wandered up again.

Connor pulled him into another kiss and Gavin grabbed for Connor's hand. He should discover himself, experience how he had to touch his sensitive parts and find out what he liked and what not.

As Gavin parted from him, Connor looked at him. His glance was still shy, his eyes full of insecurity, but Gavin tried to encourage him and nudged his nose with his. He gave him another kiss on his mouth before he laid back again. His eyes were still focused on Connor.

Connor still hesitated, and Gavin held up his arm, so Connor could snuggle up closer to him if he wanted to. Connor followed his invitation and nestled on his partner.

Gavin leaned his head on Connor's and hovered down to his lower regions. He touched himself, encircled and started to stimulate himself again.

Connor watched every move and noticed how it aroused Gavin. He sensed Gavin's hot breath on his cheek and realised that it didn't leave himself cold.

For Gavin, it was enough to hold Connor in his arm.

Meanwhile, Connor placed his head on Gavin's shoulder and slowly gained the courage to try it for himself. His hand slipped down, he touched his stomach, and it was a little eerie how it felt as his fingertips palpated the soft skin around his dick. His very first efforts felt strange, but soon it turned into something that felt kind of pleasant. Connor kept it slow first, and his stress-level remained at 40 percent.

With time he noticed, how his arousal let his dick harden up and with it, his stress-level increased. But there was still uncertainty within him, and Gavin sensed that.

Gavin had watched him once in a while and decided he could use a little help. So he stopped and grabbed beside at the drawer of his bedside table. He took out a bottle of lube, and Connor lifted his gaze to look at him.

"Open your hand," Gavin asked him and Connor complied. Gavin let drop down a small amount of lube on his palm and took himself some too. Then he put the bottle back on the bedside table. Without further hesitation, Gavin went on with his efforts, and Connor realised that these few drops honestly made a difference.

Everything inside of him contracted, and his acoustic unit went mad while he listened to the noises, which were caused by the lube. He moaned and moved his hand in an evenly pace up and down. Inwardly he developed some kind of instinct, which showed him how he had to pamper himself. He sensed where he wanted to be touched and how. Connor gave this instinct a little more leeway and shortly after his stress-level increased up to 80 percent.

His system tried desperately to cool him down, and he panted, while his eyes devoured what Gavin was doing. How he stuck out the tip of his tongue while his hand increased its pace and the way his fingertips caressed his dick's tip. How he started leaking on his stomach and how a single string of cum splattered on his abs.

"Fuck..." Gavin cursed and squinted his eyes shut. It was a curse, but for Connor, it left a sudden sensation in his acoustics. Gavin's voice faltered over his arousal, what attracted Connor even more.

The tension within him increased and balled up in his abdomen. Gavin pulled Connor closer, who lifted his head. He gave him a longing glance and Gavin reached up to kiss him. Their tongues met, palpated each other and Connor noticed Gavin's hot breath inside his mouth, as he slightly parted to breathe.

Somewhen Connor got slightly dizzy. "Gavin..." he sighed. "Gavin..."

But Gavin was so deep in his feelings that he just emanated a short, asking sound.

"I feel so dizzy..." Connor mumbled.

Gavin's lips formed a lecherous grin, what Connor didn't see. He placed a kiss on Connor's forehead. "Go on..." he panted.

Connor's lips elicited a pleading sound, and he noticed how Gavin slightly stroked his shoulder. It didn't take long until Connor's attention decreased more and more and he focused just on himself. The feeling that spread in his lower regions built up a much bigger tension than before. Together with his dizziness, Connor experienced these kinds of emotions as if he was parting from himself a little. Everything seemed unreal, heat rose in him, and he stretched his head back. Connor's legs started cramping up, and the resulting impulse reached down to his toes.

In the end, his HUD denied every further activity and Connor's eyesight blacked out. He sensed that this particular sensation reached its peak and that he lost control about himself.

Gavin saw that Connor's free hand searched for some support, so he grabbed after it and held it tight.

Connor moaned out his arousal, and his breath trembled. His climax rolled over him, merciless and his artificial heart felt like it was about to burst. The gathered up tension discharged within a moment. He gave in to the feeling to buck his hips and thrust a few more times into his fist until the tension abated.

Shortly after, Gavin's efforts increased once more, and he buried his nose in Connor's hair. A little more friction and a few last twitches made him climax, and he spilt his load on his stomach. He pulled Connor closer while he still gasped into his hair.

A few moments later, they exchanged glances, slightly exhausted. Gavin showed a grin, and both tried to manage their breath. Gavin kissed him, what Connor replied.

***

After Gavin had fallen asleep, Connor watched him in the darkness. What he had experienced had been strange, but also very pleasant. In the meantime, Connor didn't mind that Gavin hadn't slept with him. Oddly, he now felt even more connected to him than before.

In the meantime, Gavin's breath was even and calm.

Connor loved him... If Gavin would not tell him, it wouldn't take much longer, till he would. The fear that had held him back until now vanished more and more.

Nevertheless, the right time hadn't come... Not yet...


	20. On the right track

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neither Connor nor Gavin want to get back to work.
> 
> Another little adjustment is made and questions asked which lead our boys on an interesting track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the 20th chapter of this fic. When I started it back then I never would have thought it would be this long...  
> Thanks to everybody who's still reading it. I really would love it to read your feedback in a comment, if you want to leave one. ;)  
> But nevertheless - Thank you for being part of this journey.
> 
> Have fun!
> 
> \---
> 
> CWs for this chapter: Today we have none of them! :) Just enjoy it.

The other morning Connor woke up out of his Stasis and laid alone in bed. He turned around and saw that Gavin's side was empty. He remained another moment in bed and slid a little to the side to grab for Gavin's pillow to snuggle up against it. He stuck his nose into it and drew in Gavin's scent. Connor sighed happily because it felt good to stay in bed without the need to stand up.

He felt home here. Now that Gavin had made it official, just took it the way it was. Once more, he breathed in deeply and enjoyed Gavin's scent in his nose, as he heard that the bedroom door opened. Connor turned his head and saw Gavin, who stuck his head into the room and looked at him.

He smiled. "You're awake!" he said, and Connor grinned.

"Since around five minutes, I think."

"You wanna come over to shower?" Gavin asked him and wiggled with his eyebrows.

"I'm coming," Connor replied with a smirk, and Gavin went ahead. Connor stretched himself once more and then made his way over to the bathroom. Gavin already stood inside, and Connor pulled the shower curtain beside to join him.

Gavin stepped aside to give him a little more room.

The hot water trickled through his hair, while Gavin was already busy washing himself.

"What are you up to today?" Connor asked, and Gavin made a gruff sound.

"Nothing to be honest," he said. "I'm on vacation, just like you."

"Right." Connor grabbed for the shampoo. "Shouldn't we contact Markus?"

Gavin looked at him. "I think we can wait until Monday since we have to work anyway. If something happens before, he'll give me a call, I guess."

Connor smirked. Gavin had always been serious if it came to his work, but on a free day, he just enjoyed his spare time.

"Or do you think differently?" Gavin asked amused and moved a little closer to rinse his hair.

"Not really," Connor replied and looked at him for a moment until Gavin looked at him to lean forward and kiss him.

Gavin took his chance and embraced his lower back and pulled Connor against him, which made Connor chuckle. "You did well yesterday, hm?" Gavin said, more casually and Connor avoided his glance for a moment. Gavin noticed how he blushed, from his cheeks to his ears.

"Oh, stop it... It's almost embarrassing that I didn't think of it."

Gavin placed a kiss on his neck. "How would you know about it?" Gavin asked, in a hypocritical tone and Connor started grinning.

"Well, I mean... at least you've been a good teacher!" he said cheekily, and Gavin chuckled before he pulled Connor into another deep kiss.

***

As Connor went over to the kitchen a few minutes later, to have his breakfast with Gavin, he stopped for a moment.

In the middle of the table stood a single, long-stemmed rose in a vase.

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit?" Connor asked and smiled. As he looked at Gavin, he showed him a gentle glance.

While they had their breakfast, Connor and Gavin discussed driving to the city. Because even if Connor didn't like to hear it, he needed more clothes. He was allowed to borrow some things from Gavin, but in the end, they weren't his own.

"Come on, it doesn't help. I would love to do this," Gavin had said, and Connor leaned in to drive with him to buy some more.

So they made their way and thankfully there weren't many people around. Gavin bought a few T-shirts for Connor, two more jeans, two sweat jackets, a pullover and a cardigan. Gavin didn't know what exactly Connor liked about the pullover and also the cardigan. But in the end, the clothes looked better on Connor than on their hangers.

Also, Gavin noticed that Connor was happy about these and that was rewarding enough.

Some time passed, and as they had finished, Gavin invited Connor to dinner. He had had it in mind for the whole time and now wanted to give him the option to eat something really nice. It wasn't a fine restaurant, but a typical American Diner. Not just because he had a ravenous appetite for an excellent burger, but its menu also contained some more dishes which were good. Gavin also hasn't been here for quite some time.

They were just busy with eating when Gavin's phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket.

"You don't want to pick it up if it's Fowler, do you?" Connor asked, still chewing on a bite of salad.

Gavin shook his head, chewed and picked up the call. "Yes, Markus..." Gavin looked at Connor for a moment, who replied his glance with interest.

Connor just listened to their conversation.

"I just wanted to call you because we have some news. I thought it can't wait until Monday," Markus told him.

"What is it?" Gavin asked him.

"North could pick up contact. As it seems it has direct contact with the ring."

Gavin frowned. "Great! What are we going to do now?"

"We'll wait and see. I stay in contact with her, and as soon as there is some further news, I'll give you a call."

"Perfect!" Gavin replied.

"It would also be good if we meet next week to talk about particular details if necessary," Markus suggested.

"No problem. Friday again? In the evening? As always?" Gavin wanted to know.

"Sure, that'll do!"

They said their goodbye and ended the call.

"What did he say?" Connor asked.

"North is in contact with the ring." Gavin didn't tell him more, but it wasn't even necessary. Connor kinda knew that Gavin would tell him the details later.

"We'll meet on Friday evening and talk about everything else. Until Monday, we remain quiet. I don't want Jeffrey to pull us out of our vacation, so we have to get back to the office by tomorrow." Gavin told him later.

As urgent as everything was, Connor agreed with him. There was still time to discuss things on Monday.

***

Time went by faster than they both had expected and hoped. After they woke up, they remained in bed for another few minutes because they didn't want to get up. Instead, Connor teased Gavin repeatedly to stay in bed, to kiss and touch each other. He had learned a lot about himself over the weekend. He exactly knew what he wanted.

His sensory system had changed so much that he felt overwhelmed by it when Gavin touched him. Everything washed over him like a tidal wave, and it just felt natural. Just as if everything was the way as it should be. He was thankful because it helped him also to understand so many emotions he didn't before. Connor experienced lust, desire, and the longing be close to Gavin. He also got completely carried away when Gavin touched him on particular parts of his body.

Connor now knew that he had an erogenous zone on his ears, his palm and his groin. The sensation to feel something that strong was breathtaking for him.

There was just this small issue that he had discovered through his former experience with Gavin. He didn't know how to handle it right. Gavin had gotten tender with him the night before again. Throughout it, he got so dizzy, even more than the first time. Connor had the feeling of losing himself in it and had been on the verge of becoming unconscious. He noticed that Gavin was worried, but he didn't say anything. But maybe he just didn't want to stress Connor out.

Besides that, Connor was thinking about how to go on. He still had the target to get a full-time employment at the precinct and his own income. He was able to live a life with Gavin. Maybe their relationship would become even deeper and probably... probably everything would lead to a completely usual life.

Just like two usual humans...

***

The thoughts on their past weekend still remained in their heads even as they sat in Gavin's car, standing on the parking lot at the precinct. Gavin just had pulled the key and looked out through the windshield.

"I hope we can go on a stakeout. I don't have any desire to do fucking office bullshit," Gavin mocked, and Connor nodded.

"Me neither."

Gavin took a deep breath and turned his head to look at Connor. "Well... come... it's no use."

Connor didn't want to leave and sighed.

Before they left the car, Connor leaned over to kiss Gavin one last time, what Gavin replied.

They had to talk to Fowler, so they went straight over to his office after they had entered the DPD.

"Everything went accordingly as planned?" he asked Connor, who nodded.

"Yes, sir," he stated.

"Perfect. Are there any other news?" he wanted to know from Gavin.

"We got a call and the confirmation that our whistle-blower established a connection to the ring. He'll keep us updated if there is any news." Gavin reported to him.

Fowler was impressed. "Well, that's some good news!" he replied and looked at Connor. "Before you ask: I have arranged to write a letter, which I can send to the court in terms of your full-time employment. If we solve this case, I'm gonna make every effort to ensure you'll be employed as a detective."

It was more than Connor even had expected and brought a smile on his lips. "Thank you, sir!" he replied.

Against all hopes, they couldn't set off for a stakeout. Instead, they had to deal with paperwork.

Around nine o'clock Connor went over to the break room to get a cup of coffee. Since he was already there, he could get one for Gavin as well. Connor took a sip of his coffee while he waited for the coffee machine to finish, but he noticed that the coffee wasn't as good as the one they consumed at home. He had added some milk, as recommended, but it just wasn't the same.

A few minutes later, he took Gavin's mug and went over to his partner's desk. On his way, another police officer passed him. Connor had seen him before, but he couldn't remember his name. But his analysis soon got him the result that his name was Jamie Wallace. Connor didn't associate anything with him, but the guy nodded at him as they crossed ways.

Connor placed Gavin's mug on his desk, but his glance still was pinned on Officer Wallace. "Your coffee," he murmured, and Gavin thanked him, just to look at him the other moment.

"Hey?" he asked and leaned back in his chair.

Connor had sat down on the table's edge, and Gavin touched his knee and gained Connor's attention back.

"What's wrong?" Gavin asked him, but Connor shook his head.

"Nothing... Nothing..." he replied and turned his attention completely to Gavin again.

"I'm afraid you'll see Natalie sooner than expected," Gavin told him, and Connor lifted his eyebrows.

"Why?"

"Because we'll pay her a visit. I want answers to some questions. And she should take a look at you."

Connor didn't understand and gave Gavin a telling glance.

"I'm not feeling comfortable that you're getting that dizzy within the final third. I mean, it's normal to a certain degree, but you almost passed out yesterday."

Now Connor seemed uncertain. "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked, and Gavin shook his head.

"As I said, until a certain degree, it's completely normal." Just now Gavin noticed that Connor was worried. "Hey... it doesn't have to mean anything," Gavin told him with a comforting smile to calm him down. "It could be a thing what will disappear after you get used to it, but it's not very usual that you're not longer responsive."

"Did you check Natalie's binder?" Connor asked, and Gavin nodded.

"Yes, but I didn't find anything in there."

Connor understood that it was something he had to get checked. He didn't feel good about it nevertheless.

"We have to get it checked just alone because I'm your maintenance officer, okay?"

Connor nodded. "Well, you're right..." A moment later, something completely different came to his mind. "Did you see the note in the break room on the blackboard?" It came more casually that he had seen the note. It was about the yearly Christmas party at the precinct, which had been set on the other day.

He didn't really know what this was about, but after a quick research on the internet had been very telling. "It's about the yearly Christmas party at the DPD," he quoted the lines on the note and Gavin showed him a repulsing gesture.

But then he realised that Connor seemed seriously interested in participating. "To be honest I've never taken part in that strange event where everybody is wearing some kind of ridiculous sweatshirt. I just wasn't interested in this stuff," Gavin said, and Connor cocked his head.

The more he learned about it, the more he was interested in it. "Maybe it wasn't fun until now because you were all alone and without a partner," he stated, and Gavin sighed.

"Well, if you really wanna go, we'll go," he leaned in, and Connor smirked.

It would be his first Christmas, and everything he had learned until now had been quite positive. So why not this too?

Finally, Gavin stood up and looked at Connor for a moment. "Come, we'll go and meet Natalie," he said, and they set off.

***

Natalie seemed surprised to see them so soon again. But before she started to ask about what was going on, she led them over to her office.

"To be honest, I'm a little afraid to ask if everything is okay with you," she said to Connor and Gavin spoke up.

"Let's say yes and no."

"What do you mean 'yes and no'?"

"It means that he's getting that dizzy through the final third that he's almost passing out and I'm not sure if this is normal." Gavin didn't see it, but Connor's cheeks flushed blue up to his ears, and he looked in a different direction.

Natalie was thinking for a moment and stood up. She asked Connor to come over and to sit down on the cot. Connor sat down, and Natalie gained access to his wiring to connect him to a control monitor.

Throughout the analysis, she looked at him. Connor, who was fully conscious, glanced back at her. She tilted her head, and within the next moment, she touched his hair, which Connor had changed over the weekend.

Connor looked at her from below and almost waited for any kind of comment.

Her gaze was warm while she tried to place particular strands of hair in another direction and smiled at him. "My son is growing up..." she murmured, so silent that Gavin could barely hear it.

Connor instead understood her words and dropped his gaze while he smiled.

"You've developed so well, do you know that?" Natalie asked him.

As Connor looked at her again, he saw something in her eyes what he couldn't explain, but it felt good.

She cupped his cheek and brushed over it before she patted him a few times softly and let go of him.

"You're not going to be sentimental, are you?" Gavin asked a little amused, and when Natalie looked at him, she made a defensive gesture with her hand to keep her posture.

"Don't ask me something like that," she said with a slightly broken voice.

After she received the results, Natalie entered a few commands into the console beside the control monitor. Gavin saw that her glance brightened up. "Well... okay. We're adjusting this!"

Connor looked at her, asking.

"I don't think it's a problem if his sensitivity is slightly higher than normal, but it shouldn't be _that_ high." She turned down the particular parameters and pulled the cables.

"I told you it's just a minor thing," Gavin tried to comfort Connor, who was visibly relieved.

"Can I do something else for you?" Natalie asked them.

"We've got another topic where we could use your help," Gavin started to explain, and Natalie sat back on her chair.

Connor took his seat beside Gavin again. Since he didn't know what to ask, he just observed and listened to the conversation.

"Connor and I have been involved with this case for weeks now, and it could be important for you too," he began to explain, and Natalie looked at him waiting. "The thing is: It's possible that Cyberlife itself is involved in it and I wanted to ask you if you could answer us some questions."

Natalie narrowed her eyes. "Probably. I mean you can ask your questions, I just don't know how much I'm able to answer." She paused for a moment. "We're clear that we're friends, aren't we?"

Gavin looked at Connor, who exchanged glances with him. Both finally nodded. "Everything we're talking about stays between the three of us. It doesn't leave the room as far as it isn't important for the case," Gavin said, and Natalie nodded.

"Okay."

"We found some clues pointing at different androids on various crime scenes. Their biocomponents have been altered and manipulated. They contain a separate compartment which is filled with Thermite. They are constructed to blow by the command of a remote detonator or manually. One time Connor and I just survived one of these situations because Connor noticed that something was off." Gavin told, and Natalie seemed seriously shocked.

"Our investigation leads to the conclusion that someone is involved who's got the necessary Know-how of biocomponents. What I want to know is: Are there any cases at Cyberlife, connected to an employee, who's fired after he didn't behave as prescribed or handled things against the rules? Or is there anything that does ring a bell to you?"

Gavin waited for an answer, while Connor even started to analyse Natalie. She was a friend of them, but Connor's software signalled him that she knew something. Her expression was suspicious enough.

"I can't tell you anything about this, Gavin."

"Natalie... I see you know something," Connor stated, and she looked at him.

There was some kind of sympathy in her glance. "Of course, I know something. There's one case coming up in my mind within the blink of an eye, but I can't tell you the details. It could cost me my job," she continued.

Gavin didn't know how to react for a moment, but then Connor spoke up.

"Natalie, can you at least give us a hint that'll help us? Anything?"

Natalie replied his glance and Gavin, so as Connor realised that she was really sorry she couldn't tell them anything. Gavin was a little disappointed nevertheless because he had expected more.

"There's... Maybe there's one thing I can tell you. But I don't know if it does anything for you," she finally said, and Gavin looked at her, hoping that it was at least something.

"Talk to Kamski!"

"Kamski? Elijah Kamski?" Gavin asked, his look infidel and Natalie nodded.

"Try to get a connection with him. I don't know if he'll help you or not, but this is the only thing I can tell you."

At least it was a hint, Connor and Gavin could work with - For now!

***

"Kamski... Couldn't be worse, could it?" Gavin said to Connor while they had dinner. They had cooked a casserole together and had brought some apple pie home as a dessert. Also, Gavin had opened a bottle of white wine and sipped on his glass, filled with it.

"It's a hint at least, and maybe we can work something out with it," Connor replied.

"I doubt that he'll give us some answers. They always described him being very arrogant and philosophical. Since he had left Cyberlife, he lives in some kind of manor and is spending his time being surrounded by some pretty android models."

Connor looked at him, his glance was a little asking.

"I mean, that's what they're saying," he continued.

Connor leaned back in his chair and grinned. "Well, it's not like you're spending your time with another human or alone, is it?"

Gavin replied his grin. "You're not wrong," he said.

"After all, the day has been at least a little successful, don't you think?" Connor asked him and Gavin nodded.

Together they washed up the dishes, and after Gavin had dried the counter, he leaned over to Connor and kissed him. Connor replied it and palmed Gavin's neck.

"Just dry up the last things, I'm hopping into the shower, okay?" Gavin asked him, and Connor made a consenting sound. Gavin stole another kiss from him, and Connor looked after him as he disappeared into the bathroom.

When Connor was ready, he turned off the lights and went over to the bedroom. He stripped off his clothes and laid down on the bed, where he pulled up the blanket, waiting for Gavin. Thankfully Gavin had turned on the heating a little, so it was very comfortable.

While Connor waited, he did a short internet research. He checked different websites because of Kamski and tried fo find out more about why he had left Cyberlife. He even watched the short video with him, representing Cyberlife, soon after it had become an industrial business.

***

Gavin didn't actually take a shower because he wanted to shower! In the back of his head was something completely different, he was thinking of. Deep down inside, he knew that the time had come that they would take the next step of their relationship.

Connor was ready! Gavin knew that. Connor had made it perfectly clear within the last days. If it had been up to Connor, they already would have gone for it, but Gavin had been able to avoid it. Not because he didn't want to, but to give Connor time to know what he wanted.

Also, he felt a little responsible, because Connor gave himself completely into Gavin's hands, and that was the reason why Gavin was careful.

He was worried, yes... His heart already hammered against his chest. On the other hand, he was asking himself why he thought like that. Was he afraid to do it? He honestly wasn't, so he tried to shake the thought off.

It was still early. They had time! Furthermore: It was Connor and not some idiot, who Gavin had to prove anything to. If Connor wouldn't have wanted it, he wouldn't have taken all the things that happened within the last weeks.

They wouldn't even have come together!

Just this thought alone proved to Gavin that he did everything right. He just knew.


	21. In all your vulnerability

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Connor experience the next step of their relationship.
> 
> And not just in one way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter I have another illustration, some of you might already know. It's a commissioned piece from Yakichou1 on Twitter! I love it to pieces and it really gets the mood of the moment... Go and show her some love: https://twitter.com/Yakichou1
> 
> About the chapter: So, it's finally happening...
> 
> I think I have nothing left to say at this point... ;)
> 
> Have fun! ;)
> 
> \---
> 
> CWs for this chapter: explicit gay porn (for the whoooooole chapter... XD)

When Gavin came back to the bedroom, he remained standing in the door and looked at Connor. He looked so perfect... Inwardly, he sensed a nervous feeling coiling up.

God, what was going on with him?

The last few weeks, and especially the week Connor did have his adjustment, had been the worst time Gavin had ever been through. Compared to all the negative experiences in his past, his concern for Connor had been even bigger.

Just the way he now laid in his bed and looked at him... Gavin leaned against the door frame, and for a moment, he just gazed at him.

He experienced the urge to be just there for Connor. To show him, how much he really loved him. Gavin's eyes wandered over Connor's body. The things he had gone through ran through Gavin's mind.

Connor could have had an independent life as a deviant if he had separated from the DPD. Who would have searched for him if he had just taken flight? Instead, he had taken everything just as it came. He had become his partner, later his lover... Connor had visibly changed.

When Gavin thought of the android he had seen at the department back then and the android now laying in Gavin's bed, it wasn't the same anymore...

Gavin loved him more than anything... And yet he had never told him so before.

Connor looked up at him as Gavin crawled onto the bed on all fours and bent over him. He leaned his forehead against Connor's and cupped his cheek. They looked into each other's eyes, and Connor showed him a slight smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Sometimes, Connor's innocent behaviour had an amazing effect on him. Connor probably didn't even know how appealing it was.

"You're so fucking beautiful," Gavin whispered and kissed him gently on his mouth. Gavin was still amazed by the softness of Connor's lips.

When their tongues met, Connor's artificial heartbeat rose up to his throat. The way Gavin kissed him made him crazy. He reached into his hair and closed his eyes. In his HUD, one message after another popped up. They all contained Gavin. Static data, his genetics, the food he had eaten earlier. Connor tasted the apple pie they had for dessert and the slight hint of white wine.

Gavin pulled back from his lips and made his way over Connor's cheek, down to his throat. He peppered it with some more kisses and made Connor's sensors go crazy. The pleasant sensation rose into Connor's central unit, and Connor stretched slightly towards him. But Gavin realized that he hadn't had enough of Connor's lips yet and found his way back to them.

Gavin's fingertips travelled down Connor's neck to his chest. Finally, his lips followed, and Connor enjoyed his touch, his eyes still closed shut.

Gavin placed one kiss next to the other, moved across Connor's soft skin, down his sternum, while his fingertips slid over his side.

"Gavin..." Connor sighed, and his partner grinned slightly before he placed his next kiss right above his pump regulator.

Connor grabbed for his hair and sensed Gavin's hands continuing their way down his sides, to pull down the blanket, which still covered Connor's lower body.

Gavin's tongue flicked over his pump regulator, circled it with its tip, and again he placed one of his kisses underneath it.

Gavin's efforts had an amazing effect on Connor and he savored them to the fullest. In his arousal he bit his bottom lip to suppress a sigh. His body meanwhile, stretched towards Gavin, yearning for his touch.

When Gavin kissed his stomach, he couldn't help it and sat up to palm Gavin's head and kiss him on his mouth again. He seemed almost greedy, which amused Gavin a little.

Gavin parted from his lips and looked into his eyes, the tips of their noses touched.

"Just lean back, okay?" Gavin tried to calm him down a bit. This wasn't about him. It was about Connor and his excitement Gavin wanted to fullfil.

After all the worries Connor did have about this experience, he now knew that he was in good hands with Gavin. With him, he was safe. Because Gavin knew what it was all about and he had given Connor time to discover his own desires and needs. He knew it would happen today and he wanted it.

God, he wanted it so bad...

Gavin's and his connection had become so close within the last weeks, that it was eerie. When he thought about their beginnings and that they couldn't even stand each other back then, he was still amazed about how things had developed. And with every further thing that happened, their connection became even deeper.

Gavin had given them time. He wanted Connor to know exactly what he wanted. And he could give him the necessary security he probably hadn't back then as he had experienced his first time.

After Connor leaned back, Gavin placed a few more kisses on his stomach while his hand moved further down. Gavin was careful as his lips made their way further down, over Connor's abs, along his treasure trail and then he peppered a few kisses on Connor's groin.

At the beginning of their relationship, Gavin had thought about how all this would turn out.

How it might feel to be close with Connor.  
How it would feel to touch and caress him and even have sex with him.

But in the meantime, Connor had convinced him, that he had nothing to worry about. The way he looked, how his skin shivered while brushing over it with his fingertips... How Connor looked at him in arousal and the sensation he radiated when his lips parted to emanate a desperate moan...

To him, Connor was human!

Connor was perfect... Perfect for Gavin...

Gavin almost devoured the way Connor squirmed under him while Gavin kissed him in his sensitive areas. With every little bit, Connor moaned softly and Gavin unleashed his deepest emotions bit by bit...

Gavin's hand rested on Connor's stomach when he started to leave a few kisses on his length. With every further kiss, Connor trembled, so Gavin gave him the taste of his tongues tip on the soft skin of his dick before he licked over him with his full width. Connor elicited a soft moan and it made Gavin eager to go on.

He wrapped his hand around Connor's dick and gave it a few pumps.

Connor's chest rose and fell in excitement, and it urged him to look down at Gavin. He witnessed how his partner opened his lips and let him slip into his mouth. The feeling overwhelmed him and Connor's head dropped back again to let out a desperate moan.

It sounded like a sweet symphony in Gavin's ears, and so he kept running his tongue over Connor's shaft.

Fuck, even Connor's dick was perfect. Its curve when it got hard, its soft skin and its head, which pulsed below Gavin's tongue as he circled it... Even its taste was more attracting than usual. Gavin had never been an exuberant giver if it came to a blowjob. But with Connor, he could've done it for hours and never would have become tired of it.

Gavin's touch made Connor wild and he placed his arm on his forehead. His fingernails dug into his skin while he clenched it into a fist. He even bit on his tongue. But in the end, he couldn't do anything against it. Gavin just made him lose it.

Connor's longing moans encouraged Gavin to keep on stimulating him for a little longer. Still, all these emotions didn't leave him cold either.

Gavin took his time with Connor, released him in between and simply placed a few kisses on his groin or thigh, just to let him dive into his mouth again. Of course, Gavin was excited. Through all his efforts on Connor, his dick was already rock-hard. But Gavin knew that Connor trusted him and so he handled him carefully.

Connor's arousal also affected his cooling system. His fans initiated him to breathe faster and tried to cool him down that way. Finally, Gavin let go of him.

Gavin moved up to kiss him again, whereas Connor looped his arms around his neck to pull him closer.

Connor's kisses became demanding and Gavin sensed, how his breath became shaky.

Then Gavin lowered his pelvis and they shoved their hips together. Gavin, who had hardened up in the meantime, started to rut himself against Connor, just because he needed a little bit of friction and the feeling of Connor's dick on his own.

As Gavin pulled back, he couldn't resist and looked down, as well as his partner.

It haven't even started and Connor's temperature control, as well as his stress-level increased remarkably. Shortly after they made eye-contact again, Connor palmed his neck to pull him into another desperate kiss.

Gavin's movements became slower, and he leaned his forehead against Connor's, his breath was unsteady. But then Gavin heaved himself up to bend over to the bedside table.

Connor watched how he opened the first drawer to get out the bottle of lube.

Before Gavin even thought of preparing Connor, he grabbed a small pillow and leaned back a little. He asked Connor with a gesture to lift his bottom, and his partner complied to his wish. Gavin placed the pillow underneath him, and Connor couldn't help but grin slightly.

Then Gavin reached for the bottle of lube. He opened it and let a little bit drop on his fingers to spread it afterwards. Gavin leaned back over Connor again, and his hand slipped down between his thighs.

His fingertip explored his skin, and while he looked into Connor's eyes, his finger pushed gently against his entrance. Since Connor seemed relaxed, he easily slipped into him but kept eye-contact to watch Connor's reaction. If Connor showed any kind of discomfort, he would stop immediately. Gladly, his partner didn't show anything like it at all.  
Instead, Connor furrowed his brows and opened his mouth, before he closed his eyes shut. A sound of pleasure elicited his lips.

Gavin gave him time and moved slowly inside him before he added a second finger. The silent sound of pleasure turned into a moan, and for Gavin it just looked like another human reaction. Connor was beautiful... How would it even look like if he was falling apart below him?

It didn't take long before Gavin pulled his fingers out again and leaned back. Once more, he reached for the lube and applied a little more to his dick and additionally gave it a few pumps with his fist to spread it evenly on its surface. Even if he was a bit impatient, he took his time because Gavin wanted to keep every little detail of this in his mind forever.

Connor observed Gavin with watchful eyes and bit his lower lip as Gavin leaned over him. Gavin kissed him once more and gave himself a little help with his hand.

The moment Gavin entered him, Connor got flushed by a shower of emotions. Heat rose inside of him and gathered in his abdomen. The more Gavin pushed against him, the more his cheeks were tinted in a bluish tone, spreading up to his ears. He noticed how his toes cramped up, and he still held eye-contact to Gavin.

Gavin was so careful that Connor easily allowed the flood of emotions, that washed over him.

When Gavin's pelvis touched Connor's bottom, Gavin leaned forward to kiss Connor's puffy kissed lips. He felt Connor's shivering breath in his mouth, his hands in his hair and on his cheek. The amount of affection Gavin had for Connor, was unbelievable.

When he pulled back, he saw Connor smiling slightly, it looked a little relieved, what he returned. Connor's glance had something dreamily in it, and Gavin couldn't get enough of just looking at his partner, while he kissed him in between until Connor got used to Gavin, stretching him open.

As Gavin started moving his hips, he remained careful, but to Gavin's surprise, he seemed to adapt quickly and even reached down between his legs to start stimulating himself.

Gavin initially stuck to the slow pace and took the opportunity to observe Connor below him. How he touched himself, how the fingers of his other hand dug into Gavin's skin, and how his excitement peaked once in a while, resulting in a faltered sigh.

Connor was so deep in his feelings during those first moments that he had just little control over what was happening. His desire for Gavin was now stronger than ever before. The connection to Gavin overwhelmed him even more.

When Gavin bent down on him again to kiss Connor on his lips, he picked up his pace and caused Connor to mewl Gavin's name. The way he did it sounded so helpless at times and was incredibly appealing to Gavin at the same time. Gavin softly bit into Connor's lower lip to pull on it just to leave it again.

It made Connor want him even more, and he hooked his legs around Gavin's waist, whereas his partner looped his arm under Connor's leg to change his angle, while he further moved inside him.

Despite the change, Gavin was able to rub over a group of particular sensors inside Connor, which immediately created an unbelievable sensation within him. Everything else until then had been a tickle, and it made Connor lose it.

"Gavin... Oh... Ahh..." he quivered frantically, his breath became erratic. Each of Gavin's thrusts was accompanied by another huff from Connor because he couldn't suppress it anymore. It was just interrupted when Gavin kissed him once in a while.

While Connor's HUD had left him alone for the whole time, it now kicked in and displayed different status shifts, reaching up into the red zone. His stress-level increased up to 80 percent, and his fans desperately screamed for air.

His LED spun red and as Gavin noticed, how it alternated even in a pinkish colour, he slowed down a bit. Gavin knew, that if he kept going, Connor would climax in an instant, but he didn't want to end it yet. At least for now, so he lowered his pace until he stopped completely...

Gavin settled down on his elbows, and he sought eye-contact to his partner. Connor's fingers ran through his hair, and he kissed him longingly. Gavin brushed over Connor's temple, along the short parts of his hair and then slid down to stroke above Connor's upper arm.

They took a while just to look, caress, and stroke each other. As Gavin looked at him, Connor noticed a feeling spreading deep inside of him, that was stronger than anything he had ever experienced with Gavin. While there had been a few similar moments in their past, they had been far less intense for him than this one.

The look into Gavin's grey eyes caused Connor's emotions to escalate... they formed into words... He was no longer afraid.

"I love you, Gavin."

Gavin blinked.

Neither of them had dared to say those three words before. But now that Connor did, Gavin himself was no longer afraid to say them himself as well or to respond to them. He kissed Connor, long and softly, before he nudged the tip of Connor's nose with his own.

"I love you, too."

The feeling of pure bliss spread between them. Completely drunk of their love, they kissed. Connor's hand wandered over Gavin's cheek and the other moment, he retracted his artificial skin and exposed his white chassis.

The slight blue light in between the parts drew Gavin's attention to it and so he reached for Connor's hand to interlace with it.

Gavin took this as an opportunity to start moving again. It both got to their heads, and Connor pressed himself into the pillow. He closed his eyes shut, while Gavin buried his face in the crook of Connor's neck.

Gavin's pace increased a bit, but once in a while it was enough, when he paused and just pressed his pelvis against Connor to give him his full length.

Due to his arousal, Connor got louder. He moaned with an opened mouth, his voice raspy and hoarse. Gavin noticed his nostrils trembling.

Connor's hand on his dick became faster, and he sensed a slight dizziness appearing and spreading in his head.

All these feelings made Gavin so tense that he had to restrain himself. He wanted to wait for Connor, and so he tried again to make eye-contact and focus on his partner's arousal. When Connor opened his eyes a slid wide, he and Gavin exchanged glances and thanks to their slightly parted lips, they sensed the other's breath on their lips.

"Connor..." Gavin breathed, restless and his partner answered with an ardent sigh.

Gavin's movements became jerky, a little more impatient and Connor squeezed his eyes shut. He clenched his teeth and felt all the pressure balling up in his abdomen reaching its peak. Connor's stress level rose to 90 percent, and his eyesight got flooded by the illusion of shattered stars.

Through Gavin's careful observation, he realized Connor was ready and picked up the pace once more.

Connor literally melted away underneath him and let his emotions run free. Gavin held him close, while Connor dug his fingernails in his back.

To reach their climax, Gavin just needed a few more thrusts, and both let their feelings spill over. It happened as Connor and Gavin kissed each other to maintain control, but they both lost it.

Gavin sent him over the edge and followed him into the abyss...

Gavin savoured this feeling, so did Connor. He twitched a few more times before he slowed down and temporarily stopped. He remained inside of Connor for the time being and peppered his neck with kisses.

Connor lost all the strength in his legs and let them sink on the mattress. He felt weak and exhausted, his cooling program still screamed for air, and his fans hummed slightly. Connor turned his head to kiss Gavin's temple and to lean on him, to share even a little more proximity.

When he opened his eyes again, the tense feeling in his head slowly subsided, and he noticed Gavin eyeing him. His partner looked exhausted, and Connor ran his fingers through his hair.

Gavin pulled him into another kiss and cupped his cheek to stroke over his skin with his thumb.

If someone had asked Connor later how he was feeling at that very moment, he wouldn't have been able to give a proper answer.

Gavin was his everything... His partner... His one and only...

***

Gavin slept for three hours.

Connor laid beside him, his face in the direction of his partner. He observed.

Gavin's breath was even and warm. Connor could feel it because his hand rested just a few inches away from his slightly parted lips, interlaced with Gavin's hand.

Connor felt different. It wasn't better or worse. It was more an indescribable feeling of belonging. He knew that he didn't want to be without Gavin ever again and that this thing with him was something he couldn't even describe.

He snuggled a little closer to Gavin, his nose just a few inches apart from Gavin's. Inwardly, he hoped that Gavin noticed him. He stared at him, without even doing anything more. Connor's calculations worked out, and Gavin sighed in his sleep. He didn't open his eyes but stretched to Connor to kiss him.

When he pulled back, Gavin opened his eyes a slid wide, kissed him again, and Connor reared up a bit.

While still being connected to his lips, Connor pushed Gavin down on his back.

Gavin sensed how Connor moved down on him, his lips pinned on his body and caressing his skin. Some strands of his hair hovered over his chest, further down. Connor touched his belly button with his tongue, and Gavin sighed, still half-asleep.

"Connor..." he mumbled, and his partner disappeared underneath the blanket. Gavin would regret it if he didn't stop him from what he was up to, but he was still light-headed from what had happened before and because of his sleep. If he was honest, he had to admit that he didn't care about what time it was and his lack of sleep.

Gavin forgot about his thoughts when Connor let his cock slip between his lips, and he pressed his head back into the pillow. Gavin grabbed for Connor's hair, while his other hand clawed into the pillow.

Connor was careful, but let him feel his teeth once in a while, while he kept his tongue busy with circling the tip of Gavin's dick. With a slow movement, he let him slip deeper, down to its root and Gavin noticed how its tip docked against Connor's throat.

It was the moment when something came loose in Gavin's head...

He wanted to buck his hips, completely lose himself in the tightness of Connor's throat but knew that he would overwhelm Connor with it.

Connor remained like this for a few moments and let him slip out again, making a slurping sound. He kissed his groin, his abs and his tongue disappeared in Gavin's navel. His taste was breathtaking and set his HUD in motion to spill out Gavin's static data.

Slowly he kissed his way back up and let go of Gavin, who had kept his eyes shut for the whole time. Now he blinked to look at what Connor was up to. Within the darkness, he just saw Connor's LED radiating in a calm yellow colour.

Connor picked up the bottle of lube and let a little bit of it drop on his hand.

Gavin remained passive. For a short time, there was the mere thought about what would happen if Connor would take the lead. But what made him insecure one moment, he forgot the other. Because he didn't care, what was not typical for Gavin.

But before he could think even further, Connor took his thought away from him. He spread some lube on Gavin's dick, which made Gavin moan.

Connor sat astride on his lap, and Gavin felt reminded of their very first time. It was a little strange, but this time it would be different, even if it had started similarly. Gavin noticed Connor's shadow above him and how he leaned down on him. He felt Connor's lips on his own, and their tongues met. Connor's tongue was in his mouth, palpated his and tickled him a little bit, what brought a grin to Gavin's lips.

Meanwhile, Connor tried to line Gavin's dick up, but it didn't work as planned. Within the blink of an eye, their teeth clicked against each other, and they laughed in silence about it.

"Wait," Gavin whispered, and Connor stopped. He reached down with his arm and helped a little bit. Connor emanated a sigh of relief as Gavin slipped into him and he leaned back, so Gavin was able to dive even deeper. Connor waited for a moment and savored the feeling of being full again, stretched and sensing the slight throb of Gavin's dick inside him. He licked his lips and bit his bottom lip, just to huff a pleasured sigh.

Shortly after he grabbed for Gavin's hand to interlace with it.

Gavin gave him a little support by bending his legs so Connor could lean against them. With his free hand, he brushed over Connor's stomach in the direction of his pump regulator. Connor's body jolted under his touch, leading straight into his cock.

Connor leaned a little forward and gave Gavin the possibility to stroke his pecs. Gavin thumbed his nipples and Connor let go of his hand, so Gavin could use now both hands to caress him.

Inside Connor, everything got chaotic. Gavin's touch caused an impulse that led straight between his legs and made him moan with desire.

Gavin noticed how Connor's hole twitched, even if his moves were merely noticeable. Nevertheless, everything was so appealing to Connor that his feelings washed over him.

Gavin sat up and looped his arms around his lower back, while Connor leaned a little bit down to kiss him. Just now Gavin sensed the warmth Connor radiated. Gavin hovered up his back with his fingertips and Connor arched it to snuggle up close. Meanwhile, Gavin peppered his neck and collarbone with soft kisses.

For a short time, they remained like this and Connor just rolled his hips once in a while. Gavin swayed with him softly, while his face rested in the crook of Connor's neck. Connor leaned down to smell Gavin's hair and rank his nails through it.

It was a moment of pure proximity, and they both refused a little bit to go on with the typical movements and just savoured it.

But when Gavin's hand wrapped around Connor's dick and gently jerked him off, it spurred Connor on to rock his hips at least a bit. Gavin placed his other arm around the small of Connor's back to give him some support. He didn't use friction with his hand at all, and as Connor looked down on him, Gavin looked back.

Connor palmed Gavin's head and kissed him, shortly after he started moving again. Just slowly and hesitating, because he still drowned in Gavin's embrace and didn't want to end it. But the tightness of Gavin's hand between them increased, and it urged him to move at least a bit.

Meanwhile, Gavin tried to adapt to him.

It was a kind of lovemaking, in which they both lost themselves completely. Again and again, they paused to kiss, or Gavin caressed Connor's collarbone and chest with his lips. Connor enjoyed Gavin's endearment and dropped his head back.

Sometimes it was just enough when Gavin pulled him closer.

At one point Connor noticed, that Gavin's movements became hastier. When he adapted to it, Gavin took his chance to steer further in the direction of their peak. Connor leaned back to prop up his hand on Gavin's upper leg and bucked his hips. He dropped his head back again and closed his eyes shut.

Gavin kept himself busy with working Connor by hand but he had to pause in between because his arousal seeped deeper and overwhelmed him bit by bit.

Gavin moaned, his voice in the meantime croaky and hoarse, and Connor leaned forward to cling to him. At the moment, Connor was happy that Gavin held him because he became so dizzy that he saw stars in front of his inner eye. Gavin hid his face at Connor's neck again and drew in his smell. He sensed Connor's hands in his hair and listened to his pleading sigh until his climax washed over him. Relentless, a little unprepared and deep inside Connor...

Through Gavin's last jerks, it also hit Connor, and he fell into pieces. It caught him more by surprise while he leaned down, and the tension, which had balled up in his abdomen, set loose. His body was shaking, he suppressed a moan, and for a moment, everything around him disappeared.

It went through his whole body and Connor arched his back when his artificial skin started glitching. First, it was just a slight flicker, then it ran over his abdomen, up to his heart and to Connor's face. Patches of his skin disappeared and appeared again, Connor didn't even seem to notice it.

Gavin looked at him with a deep kind of affection, and his own face glowed in the shine of the lights, Connor's body emanated between its panels, illuminating the whole room.

He literally beamed and dropped his head back, accompanied by a longing moan and Gavin's name on his lips. Connor was completely lost in himself. It was just a matter of seconds until the glow abated and Connor's skin appeared on his chassis again. Seamlessly and just as if nothing had happened. Once more, he sighed passionately before he leaned forward again.

There was just him and Gavin.. nothing more...

Gavin held him when he sunk into his arms, stroked over his back and just placed a few kisses here and there.

Shortly after Gavin leaned back on the bed again and pulled Connor with him.

Connor remained on him and still tried to cool his system down, while Gavin fell back asleep.

When they laid there, Connor's thoughts drifted away, and he dived into a deep stasis, which he hadn't had experienced for quite a while.


	22. Meeting Elijah Kamski

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Connor meet someone who might be able to help them to answer a few important questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First: This chapter is 'Pudding-approved' - Means, I had some help with the characterisation of Kamski and I'm really grateful for it! - Thank you Pudding! I hope, you recognize especially one sentence in particular that came from you... :D
> 
> Have fun!
> 
> \---
> 
> CWs for this chapter: suicide (mentioned)

Connor woke up the other morning while Gavin brushed through his hair. He still laid on Gavin.

Gavin's chest rose and fell below him. His breath was even and regular. 

In his mind, Gavin thought about Connor, how everything had been with him, how beautiful he was and what happened last night. That it had been like nothing else, he had ever experienced before. Maybe because he loved Connor truly and deeply. The moment Connor's skin had glitched and how he had glowed up in his arms came to his mind. It had been kinda strange but also one of the most beautiful things, Gavin had ever seen.

Connor emanated a grumpy sound and Gavin placed a kiss on his forehead.

They exchanged glances, still a little bit tired and Connor reached up to kiss Gavin on his mouth. The kiss ended with a mutual smile and Connor placed his head on Gavin's shoulder.

"Slept well, Detective?" he asked, and Gavin made a consenting sound.

Then Gavin narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly to look at Connor. "Did I mishear last night?" he asked, and an amused grin appeared on his lips.

"Since you answered accordingly, I think you didn't. No!"

Gavin nodded. "Okay..." he mumbled and gave Connor another kiss. When he looked at him again, his glance was serious but still soft. "I love you!" he said, and Connor sensed a fluttering feeling in his stomach.

Gavin starting with it showed Connor that he hadn't done anything wrong.

Finally, it was out in the open.

"I love you too!" Connor replied and just had to steal another kiss from Gavin.

"We should get up soon if we want to take a shower before work. Otherwise, we're going to be too late." Gavin grinned. "I'm shocked that I have to remind you on this since usually, you're the one who's taking responsibility," he continued, and Connor snorted.

"We just have to do some research, don't we?" Connor asked, but Gavin shook his head.

"I wanna get Kamski by his balls. He owes us some answers."

"How do you wanna do this?"

"I'm gonna find out his address, and we'll go there. I won't make an appointment so he can get his ass prepared and put on a show," Gavin explained, and Connor had to admit that he was right.

"I don't wanna get up, actually," Connor said shortly after and put a kiss on Gavin's shoulder.

"Me neither. But we have to. Also, we have time today evening..." Gavin replied. "And tomorrow... and the day after... next week..." While he paused, he placed short kisses on Connor's cheek, his ear and his neck.

They didn't want to get up, but it was no use. The case wouldn't solve itself.

***

Their interlude at the precinct just had taken a few minutes. Gavin had found out Kamski's address and got an authorisation from Fowler to get into his house, even if he wouldn't let him in. Kamski wouldn't get off so easy if he hadn't a few answers for them.

They made their way over to Kamski's manor, which led them straight in the direction of the Cyberlife Tower. But Kamski's property laid a little beside of it. When they reached their destination, Gavin turned off the engine and leaned back.

"We have to be careful," he said, and Connor listened to him attentively. "This guy has a lot of power. He'll use it if we're acting the wrong way."

Connor tilted his head.

"He has nothing to lose."

"Maybe you're right. But maybe there was also a time where he was different," Connor replied.

"Since he left Cyberlife, he's cowering in his house and lives his life like a hermit. Once in a while, he's creating something, but overall they consider him as a very arrogant person."

"He could be. But your conclusions prop on the material you discovered in the media, don't they?" Gavin nodded in response. "Let's get to know him. Then we will see if he provides us with the answers we need. However... No offence, but try to control yourself."

Gavin sighed and looked at his partner. "Since you kicked my ass for that one freak-out I've been much more careful, haven't I?" he asked, grinning.

"Yes," Connor admitted, and they grinned at each other.

After they got out of the car, they walked towards the entrance of Kamski's house and Connor stopped for a moment to take a look around. Although the snow clouded his vision, he could see the Cyberlife Tower in the distance from here. Kamski's view must be stunning from inside the house.

Gavin waited for him at the door before he rang the bell. He was about to do it a second time when the door opened. In front of them stood a young blonde woman in a blue dress.

Connor immediately noticed the LED on her temple. How could it be any other way: she was an android.

Gavin even recognized the model. It was the first android, who had passed the Turing-Test. He remembered that it had been all over the news back then in his youth and that the media had pushed it eagerly.

They had named it "Chloe", and it was one of the most beautiful androids Gavin had ever seen.

Connor instead got the data thanks to his analysis. There also appeared another thought in his mind: It was the same model they had found in the warehouse, what they had inspected after a fire.

Gavin hesitated before he addressed her. "I, uh... I'm Detective Gavin Reed, Detroit Police Department. This is Connor. We'd like to speak to Mister Kamski." His voice was calm, and Connor was almost a little impressed because he had expected Gavin to be a bit more forceful.

"Please come in," the blonde beauty said and stepped aside. Gavin and Connor entered an anteroom which couldn't be any colder. It wasn't just meagerly furnished, a large picture of Kamski himself hung on the wall. His gaze literally captured Connor's eyes, but after a brief analysis, Connor realised that inside the whole room they had constructed an image of Kamski to intimidate the visitor.

"I will let Elijah know that you are here. Make yourself comfortable," Chloe told them.

Connor looked after her as she passed him and disappeared into an adjoining room.

Gavin sat down on one of the chairs after a quick glance across the room. "Did you know that this model was the first what passed the Turing-Test?" he asked Connor, who nodded.

"My analysis told me," he said and grinned at Gavin. "You should also know that it's the same model we found that trail of Thirium back at the warehouse," Connor continued.

Gavin frowned and took another look around. "Do you notice anything unusual?" he asked Connor, and he bit his lips.

"I don't think Kamski is misanthropic or arrogant."

Gavin snorted. "If you say so." Connor looked at him, and his voice was just loud enough for Gavin to hear.

"This was created to intimidate someone. Kamski _wants_ people to feel threatened by him."

Connor's gaze wandered over to the statues standing in the room, which had the typical blue triangle that marked an android as such. "He is the creator of androids... and he is bold enough to show it. But I'm not sure the rest is not just for show," Connor added.

They waited a moment until the door opened again.

"Elijah will see you now," Chloe said, holding the door open so Connor and Gavin could enter.

The room they stepped into also seemed cold, based on its furnishing. Inside was a swimming pool. Its unusual red tiles gave the water the appearance of blood.

Two other androids of the same model lingered at its edge. Elijah Kamski stood on the other side of the room in front of the window, dressed in a knee-length silk coat. He had turned his back to them and looked outside while he drank some water from a finely crafted crystal glass.

Gavin and Connor went over to him and stopped in a respectful distance.

Kamski finally turned around to face them.

"I'm Detective Reed. This is Connor," Gavin introduced them both.

"What can I do for you, Detective?" Kamski asked before he took another sip of water and placed it on an adjacent table.

While Gavin talked to him, Connor watched Kamski attentively. His behaviour was quite arrogant, just as they both had suspected. His eyes were alert, but not alarmed. His whole outfit was staged and convincing at the same time.

"We are investigating a case which involves some deviants. As it seems, the androids are equipped with other biocomponents than they supposed to be. They are modified in a very professional way and contain a thermite reservoir. We assume that somebody is working on them with the necessary knowledge of the technology."

"What do you expect from me now? I stopped working at Cyberlife ten years ago," Kamski replied, his tone relaxed, but also slightly bored.

Now Gavin put on a poker face. "We received the information that there was someone working at Cyberlife who wasn't quite compliant with the rules and with whom you worked when you've been employed at Cyberlife."

Kamski gave Gavin a dismissive look before he peeked at Connor.

Meanwhile, Gavin tried to continue his bluff. "If you know anything about this, you're obliged to tell us."

"What would it change if I provide an answer?" Kamski asked.

Gavin already assumed that he wouldn't achieve anything with Kamski if things went on like this. However, he wondered if becoming a hothead would make any difference at all. Probably not. Gavin glanced back at Connor, who returned it.

"You wouldn't just help us to solve this case, you'd also make sure it shed a slightly better light on your creations," Gavin finally said.

But Kamski still seemed disinterested.

Just now Connor noticed an important detail. Kamski talked to Gavin but treated him like air. During all what Gavin had said, Kamski had kept looking at Connor with interest. The way he observed him was nearly unpleasant for him. It almost felt as if Kamski tickled him with his gaze as if he wanted him to reveal himself as a deviant.

Kamski didn't even consider to follow Gavin's request. All the while, Connor had withstood Kamski's gaze, but now he turned his head to avoid it. It was just an intention, but it felt like an impulse with what he could move things forward.

Gavin saw that Kamski raised an eyebrow due to Connor's reaction. But when Kamski took a step towards Connor, he itched to do something.

"Aren't deviants _thrilling_?" Kamski asked with a smoky voice and approached Connor a little more. Not a second did he take his eyes off of him and stopped directly in front of him.

Connor felt almost threatened in his personal space. But Kamski didn't let the feeling affect him for long.

Instead, he started to circle Connor slowly and eyed him like a predator being hungry for its prey. An almost unnoticeable smile appeared on his lips.

Connor still avoided his gaze until he stopped in front of him.

"What are you doing at the DPD, Connor?" he asked him, but Connor had the feeling that this wasn't what he really wanted to know.

"I don't know what that matters right now, Mr Kamski."

Kamski pursed his lips. "Interesting. You disobey an order and evade." Kamski's blue eyes pierced him, and Connor felt more and more intimidated.

Meanwhile, Gavin became quite agitated but still tried to keep his composure. Connor knew what he was doing. Instead, he focussed his glance back on Kamski.

"Is that fear I see in your eyes?" Kamski asked almost amused and tilted his head.

Connor wasn't sure whether he should just tell Kamski the truth but he probably already knew it anyway.

"Now would you please leave my partner alone," Gavin asked, and Connor gave him a look.

"Gavin..."

Now things got interesting.

Kamski took a step back, and the subliminal smile on his lips became more visible. "An android, who gives orders to his partner. I see..." he suddenly said, and Connor realised that his reaction had probably revealed more than he had intended.

"He's not giving me orders," Gavin replied, whereupon Kamski turned away from Connor and took a step towards Gavin.

But before he got too close, Connor stepped between him and Gavin. Not because he was afraid for Gavin, but because he was worried that the situation would tip over.

Connor and Gavin couldn't fool Kamski. He had studied human psychology for far too long and knew that there was more going on between them than they revealed.

Connor's move was risky, and since he didn't agree with Gavin beforehand, he was afraid of him being pissed. But to achieve their goal, he put all his eggs in one basket.

"I love him! Of my own free will! Without him giving me the order!" Connor's gaze was firm and determined. "I am a deviant!" he added.

"Connor!" it came from Gavin, but Connor didn't move from his position and kept looking at Kamski.

Kamski didn't move an inch while Connor had spoken to him. Stoically, he stood in front of them and still glanced at Connor with interest.

"Let's leave! This is going nowhere," Gavin said, but Connor shook his head.

Kamski, on the other hand, now cocked his head. "I have always claimed that androids are ideal partners. But that they give orders or defy their partners wasn't part of it." Kamski seemed visibly amused. 

If Connor was honest with himself, he had no problem admitting that he was with Gavin and loved him.

" _Fascinating_..." Kamski finally said and took a few steps back to give the situation more space. He let them out of his sight for a brief moment, and Connor reached for Gavin's hand and squeezed it. His partner returned the pressure, but eventually, they let go of each other again.

Connor didn't want to give the impression that he was giving in. He just didn't know with what Kamski would come up next.

He had turned his back on them for a second and seemed to think.

Connor felt the gaze of Kamski's androids on him, but it didn't unsettle him.

Gavin, on the other hand, kept looking at the beauties once in a while.

Then Kamski turned around again. "Maybe I would feel more forthcoming if you allow me to ask you a few questions. Let's make a deal. A quid pro quo, if you will."

Gavin narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips because he didn't know what he was getting into. 

But Connor kept looking at Kamski intently.

"I'm going to ask each of you a question. No matter what it is. Give me an answer, and I'll answer two questions from you. The choice is yours."

Gavin and Connor exchanged glances, and Gavin nodded, whereupon Connor turned his eyes back to Kamski.

"Okay!" he replied.

Kamski took a moment before he formulated his question. However, the question that Kamski finally asked, surprised Connor.

"How did you become a deviant?" Kamski asked Connor.

Connor avoided Kamski's gaze for a moment and had to collect himself before he could answer his question. The memory on Hank's death was still strong, and it wasn't easy for him to imagine that picture again as he had found his former colleague. With a bullet in his head...

"It happened on November the sixth, this year. I was assigned to another Lieutenant at that time, with whom I maintained an almost friendly relationship. I found him in his house after he had committed suicide. I was overwhelmed by the situation. It made me feel... anxious."

Gavin had never heard the story in its details. Kamski listened to Connor's story like he was being served a full dinner, while Gavin thought he never asked Connor about it before. However, he had been far from being so disrespectful, because he could imagine that it was the last thing Connor wanted to talk about.

"My program urged me to leave the situation. But I couldn't leave my former partner alone. Not like this. So I defied my software and broke through my command barrier."

Connor saw something flashing up in Kamski's eyes, but he remained quiet. A few moments later, he turned to Gavin, who had just taken another look at the beauties in the pool.

"What does you make sure that his feelings for you are real, Detective? I mean, maybe they are just dictated by his program."

Connor could see that inside Gavin it was boiling. How could he ask him such a shameless question?

Kamski fixed his gaze on Gavin, who stepped aside as one of the blonde women walked past him to bring and hand over a fresh glass of water to Kamski.

Gavin had to hold on his composure, which wasn't easy for him. "He took a risk with me that he didn't have to take. He called me to the house that night to help him. I showed him long before that I didn't give a shit about him. Not least because I pointed a gun at him! He didn't have to do all this and yet he did. He stuck with it and trusted me with his life, completely aware of the fact that I'm often acting headless."

Connor looked at him. What Gavin said was just another proof to him that they belonged together and that he loved him.

"He's also bold enough to tell me right in the face when I'm an asshole and act like shit. He kicks my ass when I need it!" Gavin bit his upper lip and got a bit restless. "Apart from that: as an Investigation Assistant, he's not programmed to surrender to a human, like those fuckdolls from the Eden Club or any other similar establishment. If he was a machine, he wouldn't give a damn about me, despite his adaptation program and all that shit! He decided to go this way freely!"

Gavin averted his gaze from Kamski as he noticed that he was slowly but surely losing his composure.

Kamski seemed satisfied with his response. "Fascinating... A police detective and a deviant. What a magnificent caprice of nature," he mused and took a sip of water.

"Well, Detectives. I keep my promises. Ask me one question at a time, and I'll tell you everything I know," Kamski finally said, and Connor took a look at Gavin.

"As we have already mentioned, we have received information that there was an employee at Cyberlife who worked with you and who didn't quite comply with the rules. We want to know who he is and whether you believe he is capable of doing what we described."

Kamski took a short time to think about his answer. He weighed up exactly what he could tell them. In the end, he gave them the answer they needed. "Jakow Pawlow. Calls himself 'the creator'. A Russian genius with an interesting name and visions. I knew about them but categorically rejected them. Visions that... Cyberlife found promising at some point. I had warned them," he said.

"Do I think he is capable of something like what you told me?" he asked and nodded. "I do. Without the shadow of a doubt."

Now they had a name! But that name probably wouldn't get them very far.

"As far as I know he's gone underground," Kamski added, which was like a punch in the stomach pit.

However, thanks to this conversation, Gavin and Connor had made much more progress than they had expected.

"Thank you, Mister Kamski," Gavin said and looked at Connor. "Come on, Connor, let's go." Gavin was already making his way to the exit while Connor glanced at Kamski one last time.

Kamski's gaze still rested on him.

Outside the door, Gavin turned around, but he couldn't hear what Kamski was telling Connor.

"You have no idea who you're messing with. Be careful," Kamski warned him and lifted an eyebrow.

Connor didn't reply to what he said, and a moment later he took his eyes off Kamski's face to join Gavin.

Together they went back to his car.

Gavin waited for another moment before he turned on the engine.

"We have a name, Gavin!" Connor said, a little too enthusiastic for Gavin's taste. He didn't get a reaction from his partner. "Gavin?" he asked, but Gavin just looked at Connor again.

"What's going on?" Connor wanted to know, and Gavin shook his head.

"Why don't I get rid of the feeling that we overlooked something?" he asked and looked into the void.

Connor waited.

"I've got the sudden feeling that we have overlooked something important and that it's right in front of our nose." He narrowed his eyes. "Do you think he told us the truth?" Gavin asked, and Connor thought about it for a bit.

"It doesn't seem as if he was lying," Connor responded.

Gavin waited for another moment and started the engine to drive back to the precinct.

***

The visit at Kamski took a little more time than they had planned. As they came back to the precinct, just two other police officers sat at their desks and Fowler was still in his office. They went straight over to him.

After they opened the door, Fowler looked at them. He took another sip of his coffee before he spoke up: "Do you have any news for me?" he asked, and Connor just smiled slightly and looked at Gavin. He bit his lower lip and looked back at Fowler.

"We have a name!"

Fowler's widened his eyes.

"Kamski knows someone with whom he has worked together at Cyberlife and who didn't follow the rules. His behaviour and his ideas were quite dubious and not very ethical if I understood Kamski right. We gave him a few clues, and he left no doubt that they meet with those of his former colleague," Gavin explained.

"His name is Jakow Pawlow!" Connor said, and within an instant, Fowler slammed his hand on his desk.

"Good job! God damnit!" Fowler cheered.

Gavin bit his lips the other moment. "Unfortunately there are also some bad news."

Fowler looked at him, his glance asking.

"Kamski said he has gone underground. Nobody knows where he is hiding at the moment," Gavin told him, and Fowler shook his head.

But then he looked a little more positive again. "Nevertheless! We have a name! We'll work with it! Do you have some other news from the deviants?" he wanted to know and looked at Connor, who shook his head.

"We don't, but we hope that we'll get some within the next few days."

"Good!"

After all, Gavin and Connor were satisfied because they finally got on with the case. But it was still questionable, with whom Jakow Pawlow worked together. He couldn't be the only one working on everything. Now they had to wait for any information from Markus. Hopefully North would have anything new soon.


	23. Deceptive Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin takes a step he has never taken before.
> 
> Unfortunately, their bliss doesn't last for long and takes a rapid turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, with this chapter we're crossing the border of 100k and as I always told: I'm going to write 100k before shit hits the fan...
> 
> I won't spoil you. I hope you have fun reading! ;)
> 
> Btw.: In the meantime, offline this fiction is finally completed! But before it hits the end, there are around another 35k to go! So it will last another while! ;)
> 
> \---
> 
> CWs for this chapter: Gay Sex, Death of a background character, Suicide (mentioned)

When they came home, Connor just had closed the door, as Gavin pushed his partner against it. They didn't even turn on the lights, and so they kissed in the darkness.

Gavin was gentle but also demanding. He bit on Connor's bottom lip and just let it go again to press his lips against Connor's again. The success of the day had made him drunk.

Connor instead had other plans. When Gavin let go of him, he grinned. "Not so fast. I have something else to do in mind," he mumbled, and Gavin replied his grin.

"And that is?" he asked.

"You'll see..." Connor teased, and Gavin kissed him anew. "Let's go to the bedroom," Connor breathed and nudged Gavin's nose with his.

He didn't have to ask him twice.

A short time later, Gavin laid on the bed and had turned, after Connor had asked him, on his belly.

On their way home, Connor had done some research in terms of techniques to relax. A massage just seemed the right decision, and so he had downloaded the basics. He sat on Gavin's butt, his upper body slightly leaned forward.

Gavin wasn't sure if it would be good, but now he melted like wax under Connor's hands, who helped him to ease up his muscles.

Connor made it more interesting by kissing his shoulder blades, his neck and spine in between.

"It's been such a long day," Gavin mumbled, and Connor made a consenting sound. "Kamski's questions were much more interesting than I thought they would be." Gavin's thoughts went back to the morning when he and Connor had visited Kamski.

"You never told me what happened." Gavin didn't tell in detail what he meant, but Connor knew that he pointed at his explanation about the evening when everything had begun.

"You never asked me about it either."

"I didn't want to be disrespectful, so I didn't. I also didn't know if you want to talk about it."

"I don't have the urge to talk about it if I don't have to," Connor replied and hovered down Gavin's sides. Below his fingertips, he sensed every little muscle and how they relaxed through his efforts.

Along Gavin's spine, Connor touched a point, where Gavin just winced.

"Fuck!" he cursed and noticed, how Connor let go of him and massaged the areas around it before he returned to the point which had caused the pain.

"It seems this muscle is a little hardened... Not good," he murmured, and Gavin elicited an uncontrolled sound. Connor worked Gavin's back again to help to ease his tension. It took a while, but then Connor sensed that his efforts were successful.

Gavin sighed as Connor's touch became more gentle again. "It's unbelievable that your soft fingers can be that brutal," he said with a smile on his lips.

Connor leaned down on him and placed a kiss on his shoulder, right beside Gavin's head. "They could crush you within a few nanoseconds if I wanted to," he told Gavin and returned his glance. 

Gavin reached up to kiss him, and Connor willingly returned. He leaned a bit to the side and brushed along Connor's jawline. He parted his lips, asking Connor to intensify the kiss and their tongues met.

When Connor pulled back, Gavin gave him a glance, which he didn't know how to interpret first. Connor heard that Gavin's breath became nervous while he looked as if he was going to say something, what wasn't particularly easy for him.

"Sleep with me..." Gavin whispered, his eyes nervously searching for Connor's approval, even slightly insecure.

What Connor didn't know was that Gavin had never given himself into someone else's hands. Gavin always had been the lead within a relationship, if it came to sex. Even if feelings had been a part of it, Gavin never had felt so secure that he had given up control.

Connor's look showed Gavin that he didn't quite understand how he had meant it and he kept looking at him. But then Connor understood, and he lifted his eyebrows, more questioningly.

Gavin slowly nodded.

"Sure?" Connor asked, and Gavin thumbed over his cheek.

"I trust you," he breathed, and Connor moved his head forward to lean against Gavin's forehead.

Both of them closed their eyes.

Connor took his time to prepare Gavin, just the same as he did. Gavin let go, but Connor sensed, that he was still a little bit insecure. Connor didn't ask him if he should stop, he just gave him more time.

It took a perceived eternity until Connor could move inside Gavin with two fingers. But he was patient and peppered Gavin's back with kisses.

Since Gavin didn't make any move to turn around and even raised his bottom in Connor's direction, he thought it would be most comfortable for his partner to stay like this. Connor leaned over him from behind, after he urged himself between his legs and prepared himself with enough lube.

Gavin turned his head and looked up to him. His eyes looked a bit helpless, he frowned, and Connor bowed down to pull him into a soft kiss. Even when Gavin always had been a little cocky, Connor wondered about this kind of change and it seemed as if he really wanted it.

Connor supported himself with one hand on the bed, while his other reached down. He sensed Gavin's tension as he pushed against his entrance and bit on his tongue to gain more control.

Connor stretched him slowly, and Gavin emanated a suffocated but almost abject sound. Connor had never even thought of having so much control about himself. He stopped when he had the impression that everything was going too fast. He worked his way forward, always accompanied with soft strokes and kisses until Gavin relaxed. With time, Gavin loosened up a little, and Connor was able to loop an arm around his body to pull him slowly but surely against him.

Connor felt Gavin tremble in his embrace.

It was something new for both of them. Gavin sensed Connor pulling him up on his hip. When he got the needed support below his knees, he stretched up to lean back against Connor.

Connor embraced Gavin with both arms and hovered his hands over Gavin's pecs, down to his abs, while Gavin turned his head to kiss him.

They remained in this position for a while, until Connor started to move. Gavin looped an arm around Connor's neck and sighed below his movement.

Silently Gavin started gasping into his ear.

Their arousal increased, and Gavin let go of him to get down to the bed on all fours again.

Connor grabbed for Gavin's hip, and his thrusts became eagerly. The sensation to feel Gavin like this was kind of strange for Connor, but in a way, he highly enjoyed it that Gavin had so much trust to give himself into Connor's hands.

Gavin's head hung between his shoulders, and he surrendered to the feeling of Connor's movements. He listened to the slapping sounds, skin on skin, while one of his hands reached down between his legs to grab his cock and he indulged it with a little more friction.

Connor noticed how he started twitching around him, and it hit him so unprepared, that he leaned forward and clenched his teeth. "Gavin... stop it..." he moaned, and Gavin turned his head to look at him with half-closed eyes.

"With what?" he asked, his voice croaky and he twitched again, which earned him a suppressed moan from Connor.

"That..." he said.

But instead of pulling himself together, Gavin now did it on purpose. He set up a wolfish grin and clenched around him within an instant. Connor's hand on his hip started to tremble, and his breath became erratic.

Connor supported his body with his hand beside Gavin's on the bed.

"You don't tell me you like it, do you?" Gavin teased him and saw Connor grinning, but he also frowned, closed his eyes shut and opened his mouth in ecstasy.

Now one of Gavin's hands reached for Connor's hip, and he tried to pull him even closer. Connor reacted within an instant by kissing him.

This experience was still intimate, but it had another quality. It wasn't less good, but somehow... different. - Not just because they had exchanged roles.

Gavin's kiss became demanding, he bit into Connor's lower lip and let go of him again. His voice sounded throaty: "Fuck me, Connor!"

Just the way he said it, triggered something inside Connor, which he had never felt before. Connor opened his eyes and looked into Gavin's. His following kiss was claiming, his movements became jerky and a bit reckless.

Gavin lost control about himself completely and slid into a kind of state, where everything around him disappeared. He just felt Connor inside, how he increased his pace once more and he couldn't help but moan pleadingly.

Connor experienced something completely different. Until now, his HUD had left him alone. But now that his stress-level increased up to 95 percent, he lost his eyesight for a moment, and he felt the urge to push himself deep into his partner. His body was about to overheat, and he clawed into Gavin's hips, who turned into a trembling pile of misery below him.

Every tension within him unloaded, but instead of feeling pleasure, it came up pressured and forced. His body yearned to sink as deep as possible into Gavin, and he leaned his forehead against Gavin's shoulder. That made his hot breath wandering down Gavin's spine and caused a nice shiver on Gavin's skin. It made Gavin climax, and his feelings toppled over.

Connor sunk on Gavin's back who now lost every strength in his legs.

Gavin heard how Connor's cooling system screamed for air since his partner breathed uncontrolled, erratic and stumbling.

After Connor's HUD had restarted, he opened his eyes and looked at Gavin, who already had started to relax, and he grinned.

"You seem a little off-balance, my dear," Gavin murmured and the edge of Connor's mouth arched to a grin.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna leave control to you again next time."

Gavin lifted his eyebrows.

"I don't think my processors can handle it in the long run."

"What a shame!" Gavin said and gave Connor a sheepish grin.

"We'll see..." Connor replied and placed a kiss on Gavin's temple, bevor he slowly retreated from him. "Also I like it to be topped by you," he added and Gavin chuckled.

When Connor laid beside him, Gavin snuggled up close. They felt comfortable in this mutual embrace, and Connor noticed, how Gavin gently stroked his back. It wasn't that he didn't like it to be in control. He appreciated Gavin's trust. But on the other hand, he had to admit that he definitely felt better if Gavin took the lead.

It felt secure and also matched his awareness of being Gavin's property, what he actually liked if he thought about it. Gavin had claimed him before they knew and that made Connor think, that it would have been strange if they would do it like this frequently.

But even if he thought it wasn't his thing now, maybe there was a time for another try.

Before Gavin fell asleep, he realised once more that everything with Connor was just as it should be. That everything he had done had been the right decision. He was truly happy and there was nothing in existence to compare. He knew that nothing in this world would tear them apart.

Gavin loved him.

Every day a little more...

***

The breakfast the other morning was a little strange. While Connor and Gavin usually talked with each other, they now didn't say a word. But they didn't remain completely silent. Connor smiled at Gavin once in a while, which Gavin replied. Sometimes a glance was enough to make the other grin again.

It was as if they understood blindly.

On the outside, it seemed that they didn't talk at all. Inwardly they had a lively conversation, assembled through glances and gestures.

But after all, they couldn't resist without being at least a little soft with each other. When they had finished, Gavin stood up and placed his plate on the counter before he went over to Connor. He embraced him from behind and snuggled his face into the crook of his neck before he peppered his skin with kisses.

Connor chuckled and turned his head a bit. But he didn't come very far because then, Gavin bit gently into his ear.

"I could devour you, right here, right now," Gavin murmured, and Connor grinned.

"Honestly, I would like that!" he said, and he heard a slight hum from Gavin in reply.

Connor loved it when he acted like this. It was not just the proximity, but also the boundless joy of Gavin relishing all of this. He seemed to be happy and so Connor was happy as well.

***

A little later, they drove to work. The Christmas party was planned for the day's afternoon.

Chris caught Gavin in the break room when the latter wrote his and Connor's name on the list of participants.

"Never thought I would experience you, participating on an internal event like this," Chris said, and Gavin took the place beside him to pick up his coffee.

"Some things change over time," Gavin replied.

"And that from you!" Chris was highly amused when Connor came in and went straight over to the coffee machine. "He's good for you, isn't he? How long are you working together now?"

A few months back and Gavin couldn't have kept his mouth shut to make a rude comment or something similar. "About six weeks," he said after thinking about it for a moment.

Chris cocked his head and grinned. "I have to admit that I could hardly stand you until now. But his prudent behaviour is rubbing off on you."

Gavin left Chris's comment without a response but grinned into the coffee cup while he took another sip.

"You seem calm, and you're not as pesky as before."

"One more word and I'll show you who's pesky!" Gavin said with a smirk, and Chris laughed.

Shortly after Chris went over to his desk, Connor joined Gavin at the table. "Did I miss something?" he asked, and Gavin showed him a lopsided grin.

"No, I was only told that you're a bad influence for me."

Connor frowned. "Me? A bad influence? Should I go and ask Chris what he really said?" Connor asked and smirked, whereas Gavin gave him a slight punch on his shoulder.

***

The Christmas party at the precinct went on for around two hours. Besides coffee and alcohol-free punch, there were some cakes and other baked goods. Inside the break room they had placed a Christmas tree, just as every year. Connor liked it and felt accepted along with his other colleagues.

While he nibbled on a piece of cake, Gavin thumbed furtively along his mouth's edge to wipe off some powdered sugar. They smirked at each other and exchanged glances, what would have been absolutely telling to another person. They were deep in thoughts as Fowler appeared beside them.

"I didn't know you could eat something," he said surprisedly to Connor.

"The feature to eat regular food came with his upgrade. He still tastes stuff to find out what he likes and what not," Gavin explained.

"For what purpose was this implemented?" Fowler asked with interest. Since Connor had his mouth full of cake, he looked at Gavin, slightly grinning. Depending on what Gavin was about to say, this could turn out pretty interesting.

"Because of his power management. Furthermore, he's able to adapt even better."

Connor threw a telling look at Gavin, who then grinned at him. - Well, in the end, Gavin wasn't completely wrong.

"Oh, okay," Fowler replied.

"Besides that, it makes me more human. Eating together is - in my humble opinion - one of the most human-like things and I'm happy that I'm able to join in now," Connor said.

Fowler frowned. "Right!" Then he looked over to Gavin. "And you two are getting along well?" he asked, his voice sounded as if he was honestly interested.

"Yeah, everything is fine," Gavin replied.

Sadly the afternoon didn't remain that quiet as it had started.

A little while later, Gavin was just about to talk to Chris and Connor, Betty interrupted them. The ST300, who worked at the precinct at the phone-service, came over and looked directly at Connor and Gavin.

"You have to set off. Police Officer Pherson and Williams found a body at West Riverfront Park. Android, the data has been assigned to your case," she said.

Connor looked at Gavin, who replied his glance.

A few minutes later they left the precinct and drove to the West Riverfront Park.

***

"A Walker found her and immediately called the police. He wasn't sure if it's a human or not," Williams explained.

Gavin cocked his head. That was strange because everyone would recognize an android at least because of the LED on its temple. But then he noticed the reason for the mistaken identity.

"Her LED has been ripped out," Connor mumbled, who leaned over the android.

It was a female model, very attractive with red, short hair.

"What do you know about the model?" Gavin asked him, and Connor ran an analysis.

"WR400, most advanced model if it comes to sex partners. Mostly used in certain establishments," Connor stated.

"How was it killed?" Gavin wanted to know.

"Headshot."

Gavin shook his head, but Connor wasn't finished.

"I should tell Markus about it," he almost whispered, and Gavin took a look around.

"Why?" he asked.

"That's not just a WR400... It's Ripple!"

For a moment they exchanged glances, being completely speechless.

"You sure?" Gavin asked, and Connor nodded.

"Sadly, yes."

" _Phck_!" Gavin cursed.

"There's just one problem," Connor added.

"What problem?"

"As long as they're here, Markus won't show up. But if we call the forensics, they'll take her with them. I can't imagine that Markus wants that." Connor sighed.

"Well, talk to him. Maybe we'll find another way."

Connor stood up and bit his lips. It wouldn't be easy to deliver this message. Not at all!

"I'm talking to the others," Gavin said and looked at him, his glance was encouraging. He placed his hand on Connor's shoulder.

"Okay!" Connor replied, and Gavin went over to his colleagues.

Inside his head, he flipped through his possibilities. But in the end, there wasn't a gentle method to deliver a death message. He had to tell Markus the truth. Connor went a few steps away and tried to contact Markus over his inner network. The door, which had remained closed to him in the beginning, now opened quickly.

"Connor!" he heard Markus's voice in his head.

"Hey, Markus... I... I don't want to beat around the bush. We've got a problem."

"And that is?" Markus asked, and for Connor, it honestly wasn't easy to tell him what was going on.

"I'm afraid I have to tell you that we found Ripple. She's dead."

Some moments passed without Markus saying anything. He already thought Markus had cancelled the connection, but then he spoke up again.

"You sure that it's her?" he asked.

"Sadly, yes. I'm so, so sorry, Markus."

It took another moment until Markus replied to Connor: "North disappeared two days ago," he stated.

"Seriously?" Connor was shocked.

"Yes. After I spoke to Gavin on Saturday, she contacted me the last time. Since then - Nothing!"

"Do you think something happened to her?" Connor asked, but Markus replied with a negating sound.

"I don't think so. We agreed that she would send me a status report once a day, but she didn't comply."

"Shit!"

"What are they going to do with Ripple now?" Markus asked.

"They'll bring her to the forensics. Her body is part of the evidence."

"And there's no chance that we...?"

"I'm afraid there isn't. But I can try to get her to you if all of this is over."

It took another moment for Markus to answer. "Okay."

"We'll meet on Friday, if possible?" Connor asked, a little afraid that Markus would reject him now.

"Of course!"

Shortly after their conversation ended, and Connor went back to Gavin.

"What did he say?" Gavin asked.

"North disappeared two days ago. She also doesn't send status reports as agreed."

Gavin looked at him in disbelief. "You're fucking kidding me, right?"

Connor shook his head. "Sadly, I don't."

Gavin took a step aside before he turned his back on Connor. He remained silent for another moment but then kicked angrily against an empty tin-can laying on the ground.

Connor sensed that he was deeply annoyed by all this after everything had started so well...

***

It was already late, but Gavin and Connor decided to drive back to the precinct to report to Fowler.

Gavin looked a little nerve-wrecked, and he didn't even say a word on their way. When they arrived at the parking lot, and Gavin had turned off the engine, he waited for another moment in the car.

"Markus is sure about North being corrupt?" he asked.

"He didn't say that she's corrupt, but she's not making status reports as agreed. Since two days."

Gavin seemed to think, but then he shook his head. "Fuck!" he cursed and glanced at Connor.

"I'm sure that everything will be fine. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding or something else," Connor reassured him, but Gavin snorted despicably.

"We'll see about that..."

After entering the bullpen, both of them noticed that something was clearly off. When Gavin's colleagues noticed him, they all glanced at him. No, they didn't look - They stared!

Gavin frowned. "Party is already over or why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

Then the whole situation changed. "Would you please stop staring at me like that and mind your own fucking business?"

His wall of composure - It was back again!

Connor sensed Gavin tensing up. His attempt to localise the reason for all this was fruitless.

Gavin couldn't see Fowler in the crowd, but he didn't have to wait for long.

"Reed!" it came from the direction of Fowler's office, and Gavin lifted his gaze. Fowler gestured that he wanted him to come over and Gavin complied.

But Connor realised that something was clearly off, that something was about to happen. He just couldn't tell what it was. He looked after Gavin and waited.

Gavin closed the door of Fowler's office behind him, and his boss told him to sit down.

"We don't have good news-" Gavin started, but Fowler interrupted him.

"Put that damn case aside for a moment."

Gavin looked at him in confusion.

"Gavin, you're in trouble!" he said.

Silence!

Jeffrey's voice sounded calm, but even Gavin noticed that his superior was very uneasy inside.

"Do you remember that Hank's ID-card was missing, that day he died? We discussed this back then."

Gavin narrowed his eyes and nodded. "What exactly... do _I_ have to do with this?" he asked.

"We never talked about that again because it already looked like as if he had committed suicide. He also could have lost his ID-card or his wallet or something."

With every word, Gavin got tenser and tenser. "Could you please tell me what role I'm playing in this?"

"While you've been gone, his ID-card was found in a drawer of your desk!"

In Gavin's mind, his thoughts went nuts. "What... Jeffrey, what the fuck?" he asked. "What exactly do you want to imply?"

Connor saw, how Fowler took a look outside and within an instant, two of his colleagues went straight ahead to his office. Through the glass, he noticed, that Gavin was alarmed, his glance in agitation. But he didn't know what he could do. He didn't even know what was happening in there.

"I'm afraid, I have to arrest you for now," Fowler told Gavin.

Gavin pulled a face because he couldn't comprehend to the situation. Now Fowler stood up, and Gavin's colleagues entered the office.

"Due to the circumstances you're accused of covering Connor, and that he might have something to do with Hank's dead," Fowler explained whereas Gavin stood up so fast that the chair he just sat on, toppled over.

"Honestly? You're not going to cuff me up, are you?" he asked and shook his head when his colleagues approached him.

One of them grabbed Gavin by his arm, while the other one cuffed him up.

"Are you completely out of your mind, Jeffrey? You're accusing Connor that he killed Hank, and me to cover him? Are you even aware of what you're implying?" Gavin asked and tried - a little half-hearted - to free himself.

"I'm sorry, Gavin, but I have to pull you out of the crossfire until everything is solved. Connor will also be confiscated, and we all hope that Cyberlife will find out what's wrong."

Now Gavin slightly panicked. "Do you want to tell me that they will disassemble him? What the fuck, Jeffrey! I trusted you! I fucking trusted you!" Gavin cursed before they led him out of the office.

The whole bullpen was watching how he was taken away.

Connor became agitated, and he was just about making a step into Gavin's direction when his partner looked at him.

"Connor! Fuck off! Run!" he yelled, and Connor didn't know how to react first.

But he didn't have time to think long thoughts, since two other colleagues approached him.

"Get your fucking ass out of here! Fuck off!" Gavin's voice sounded desperate, and Connor noticed that he wasn't taking his arrest that easily.

Connor had to act and just turned around to run in the direction of the main entrance. Two other police-officers wanted to stop him, but they didn't count on his strength. Connor fought them off and ran.

He ran for his life. But where should he go? - He didn't have a clue.

Thankfully it was already dark when Connor had left the precinct.

A short while later, he stood somewhere in a side street, gasping for air. His system screamed for some cooling because he ran so fast.

What the hell just had happened?

He didn't even know why they had arrested Gavin. Connor could imagine that it was related to their case. When they found Ripple at the latest, they got aware that not everything would be as easy as they had thought.

But what should he do now? Markus had offered his help whenever he would need it. Gladly he hat brought some distance between the precinct and himself.

Connor was still in unrest, and his thoughts were spinning. When he heard a police siren near him, his whole body flinched. Connor pulled himself together and finally tried to connect with Markus.

"Connor?" Markus asked.

"Markus, you have to help me!" His voice sounded desperate.

"What's going on?"

"They arrested Gavin. I took a flight and have no idea where to go. If they get me, they'll disassemble me!"

Just listening to Connor's voice showed Markus that it was serious. "Why did they arrest Gavin?" Markus asked, but Connor couldn't give him a proper answer to that.

"I don't have a clue."

Markus waited a second before he replied. "Come to Ferndale. I'm sending you the necessary data to find us."

"Thank you, Markus. Thank you so much!" Connor answered and sounded at least a little relieved.

"Take care, Connor," Markus closed the conversation and cancelled the connection.


	24. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor arrives at Jericho and Markus retreats.
> 
> Meanwhile, Gavin learns that Hank's role in all this was way bigger than everybody thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have fun reading :)
> 
> \---
> 
> CWs for this chapter: suicide (mentioned), murder (mentioned), threatening

It had been ages since he had bitten his lips like that. He and Connor had been away for just a short time. How on earth had Hank's ID card made its way into his desk?

The handcuffs almost cut into his wrists, so tight they were applied. He sat in a cell, what else did they even want from him? They wouldn't even cuff up a regular criminal while being in a cell like that!

Gavin already suspected at Kamski's place that something was off. It all had gone far too well. He should have paid more attention. Nothing ever went according to plan with him! Never! His thoughts drifted to Connor. What would he do now? He hadn't even been able to give Connor the keys to his apartment. Where would he go now?

Inwardly, he hoped that Markus would help him. Gavin would have to figure out what would happen to himself now.

While Gavin thought about what happened, he didn't notice that someone stood in front of his cell and watched him. Only when he saw the shadow on the floor of his cell, Gavin looked up. But at the same moment, he wished he hadn't given in to the temptation to look up. Outside his cell stood someone he couldn't deal with right now.

Jamie Wallace had witnessed how Gavin got arrested but had kept his distance. Now he stood in front of Gavin's cell and just looked at him. Gavin couldn't figure out what Jamie wanted. He suspected that he didn't have anything good in mind.

***

Connor had followed the clues, which Markus had given him. Now he stood in front of the large freighter that laid in the harbour of Detroit.

The wind blew into Connor's face. Temperatures were much colder here than in the city. While he looked at the freighter's side, he saw the inscription in its upper third, that said "Jericho".

To his right appeared a shadow and Connor turned his head.

"It's old, but it's our home," Markus said and moved slowly towards Connor.

Connor looked at him and narrowed his eyes.

"Come with me, and we'll sort everything out inside," Markus said, and Connor followed him.

Markus led him inside and introduced him to his group.

Connor had no idea how many deviants lived here. But they were more than he had expected. He already knew Simon, but also got to know Josh and a few others.

Markus brought him to another area of the ship. In its middle stood a fireplace. It was small but provided a little warmth. In its background, Connor saw something glowing. The silhouette of another person appeared in his sight, but Connor couldn't quite identify the model or any other data.

"This is Lucy. Every deviant who comes here is introduced to her. I know you're not a threat, but I'm sure it would be good if you get to know her. She's got a good soul."

Connor didn't know what to think about meeting so many deviants, but if Markus thought it was better to get to know her, he complied.

Lucy approached him, and Connor was puzzled by her appearance. Now his analysis told him, that it was a KL900, an android with the skill to detect mental deficiencies. It was a highly skilled model, which was used for psychological purposes. Her abilities contained giving comfort and to simulate various situations to calculate a threat in advance.

As good as it sounded, her appearance was terrifying. Her chassis was open at the back of her head. It exposed her central unit, and when Connor looked into her eyes, he just saw a black colour radiating from them. Due to her opened head, her artificial skin glitched out and ran in waves over her chassis.

Nevertheless, if Connor looked closely, she had something incredibly beautiful.

Connor joined her by the fire, and she looked at him with interest. He got nervous, but Markus, who stood beside him, just waited.

"Give me your hand," she requested, and Connor complied. When he retracted his skin, Lucy turned her head and eyed their connection.

"You've given up so much for this human." She paused for a moment, and Connor was worried that she would say something that might confuse him even more. "You're confused, but you already know your path because you found it a while ago," she murmured.

Then she let go of him and cancelled the connection.

Connor didn't know what to think about what she said. But he also didn't perceive any kind of hostility or anything like that. He glanced at Markus, who made a gesture to signal him to follow. Without saying any further word, Connor stood up and went with Markus.

He took him upstairs to a meeting room. "Sometimes, her statements are very coded, and we don't always know what they mean, but Lucy helps us here. She gives us hope and helps if someone is confused. Especially if it's a deviant who lost its way."

"Markus, I know my way. I know what I want."

"I know," Markus replied and sat down after he closed the door. "But now you're here."

Connor leaned on a table's edge, which stood nearby and crossed his arms on his chest. "They imprisoned Gavin. I don't even know why!"

Markus seemed thoughtful. "Maybe he knows something he shouldn't?"

Connor shook his head. "In the end this is absurd," he replied because he already has had this thought too. He also had Gavin's past in mind, and maybe there was a connection, which also had caused this disaster. But all in all, it remained absurd.

"Markus, you have to help me. What's going on in Detroit will affect you sooner or later, too. You can't keep your eyes shut and hope that it doesn't. If they already killed Ripple, they'll find you. Especially if North is corrupt."

Markus didn't show any kind of emotion or reaction.

"Do you have any news from her?" Connor asked, but Markus shook his head and avoided his glance.

"I would never have thought that everything would develop like this," he replied.

"Furthermore, you can't calculate how things will develop in the future. Gavin and I found out who's responsible for this. But without Gavin, I'm powerless to do something!"

The way, Markus glanced at him showed Connor that he neither liked what was going on nor the thought to intervene. But Connor tried to make him understand what would happen if he wouldn't do something.

"North knows your position. If this guy is able to equip androids with other biocomponents, he also knows how to program them. He only needs to capture some of you, and he's got new recruits for his intrigues. Markus, we need Gavin!"

But Markus remained silent for another minute and then shook his head. "I can't risk our cover. Not in an offensive way."

"You don't even know if there's someone else in your group who's corrupt!" Connor didn't blame Markus, but he tried to explain how dangerous it would be to sit it out. But soon he learned that he wouldn't achieve something in terms of changing Markus's opinion.

"I'm sorry, Connor. I can't take another risk at the moment. The death of Ripple and North's behaviour is hitting hard enough." He stood up and approached Connor. "You can stay as long as you like. It's your home as much as it's mine. But please don't expect me to risk the existence of this group after all what happened."

***

Connor had found a place away from the group. He had to talk to Hank in his mind palace. Without Gavin, he didn't have a perspective. In the end, he could also shut himself down if he would lose Gavin.

Inwardly, he was in turmoil. In his mind palace, it snowed, combined with a light breeze. If it touched Connor's skin, it hurt. Connor crossed his arms in front of his chest and went along the way. He hoped to find Hank on one of the benches, but his former partner had retreated to the middle of the island.

Thankfully the futuristic trees protected them from the snowfall, but he still noticed the unpleasant wind.

"Hank..." Connor mumbled when he saw him.

His colleague sat on an armchair, and Connor took the seat beside him.

"Well, you fucked up," Hank said, and Connor sighed.

"What should I do, Hank? I can't talk to Fowler, or with Gavin. I'm not able to convince anybody that things aren't like they seem to be. Unless what's the reason for all this."

His former partner bit his lips and seemed lost in thought. "You also have a way different problem, Connor," he suddenly said, and Connor looked at him, his glance asking. "You have to find something to eat. Otherwise, your power management will shut down your system."

It was something Connor didn't even think of. But now that Hank mentioned hit, he wanted to slap himself. The last thing he ate had been the cake at the Christmas celebration. He had to find something to eat, lately the next morning.

Nevertheless, he was still clueless about what to do in terms of the whole situation.

"Go to Natalie! Maybe she can help you if she finds out in what kind of situation you are," Hank added.

But how would Connor get into the Cyberlife Tower? Would they even let him enter? What if they would arrest him on the spot? - If he only had access to his goddamn jacket.

On the other hand, Hank was right. What did he have to lose? He always had been ready to give his life for the damn case. So why not for Gavin as well?

While he thought about what to do now, he stared into the void. Hank placed his hand on Connor's knee.

"You already know your way, right? I don't like to say it, but your way leads back to Gavin. If Markus can't or doesn't want to help you, try to get Gavin out of there. Alone! Someone has to talk to you!" The way Hank said it sounded so easy, but Connor couldn't imagine that it was that easy at all.

"But don't act too headless," Hank added and stood up.

Connor looked after him. "Hank?" he asked in his always recurring procedure, and his former partner turned around.

"Why did you do that?"

Hank's warm glance almost broke his heart.

Connor saw, how the edge of his mouth crooked to a smile and turned around again.

His question remained unanswered.

***

It was already late. Just the emergency lights were lit at the precinct, so the light in Gavin's cell was pretty dimmed. The cot he laid on was very hard. Pillow or blanket? - Not available! Gavin laid there for half an hour and couldn't sleep. Who knew how long he had to remain here? How long, until he would find out how to go on?

Gavin missed his bed, Connor's proximity... Everything.

When the lights in his cell became brighter, he squinted his eyes. He lifted his head and looked outside. He didn't figure out first, who stood on the other side of the glass pane and sat up. Gavin didn't want to stand up, but he was kind of interested, who pulled him out of his slumber. He still wore handcuffs, his wrists ached.

He approached the glass pane and realised that his assumption of who stood on its other side, was right.

"Are you getting off to see me like this or why are you busting my balls again?" Gavin asked and Jamie Wallace, who already had visited him a few hours earlier, stepped into the light.

"You should be glad there's no one left at the precinct, who can listen to your bullshit," he replied, and Gavin snorted.

"Why do I even talk to you?" he asked and shook his head. He turned around the next moment and wanted to go back to the cot to lay down. He didn't want to give Jamie more attention than he earned.

"I did quite cleverly, didn't I?"

Gavin stopped and hoped he had misunderstood.

"The thing with Hank's ID-card?" Jamie added, and Gavin turned around.

He furrowed his brows. "That was you?" he asked a little disbelieving until he realised that, after all, it was obvious. It just could have been him. "Yeah, sure... Why didn't I think of it earlier?" But Gavin wasn't aware of the scope this was taking.

"You should have kept your hands off of this. So as Hank!" Jamie's glance looked like one of a lunatic, and Gavin's thoughts set in motion.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and Jamie snorted pejoratively.

"Hank stuck his nose in too many things, which weren't his business. He better had taken care of his partner. Maybe he better remained with his drinking. Maybe then he would still be alive." His voice sounded bored, but at the same time, Gavin noticed a slight hint of mockery in it.

"You wanna tell me that you killed Hank?" Gavin asked him openly.

But Jamie, as arrogant as he was, didn't answer his question straight away.

"You both thought you would be so clever. You and Connor... You didn't even notice that someone is after you. Not even the group you partnered up with." Jamie played the superior, but Gavin still thought he was a dumbass.

There must be something he didn't think of.

"Hank caught me while I was placing the wrong clues. So I had to eliminate him because I couldn't risk blowing our cover. But after all, his implied suicide looked realistic, didn't it? This task wasn't very hard with his alcohol level, which was always too high anyway."

Gavin noticed how a wave of sudden anger rose within him. Hank didn't have a good time after his son Cole had died, but he still had been a good Lieutenant. Gavin had a particular respect for him. The way Jamie talked about him now, dishonoured his whole legacy.

"I mean, you have to understand. I had to take him out of the way. There wasn't any other option. Thankfully I can do it differently with you. With your past and all these things, your file surely is as thick as a fucking novel!" His grin appeared manic, and Gavin tried to restrain himself.

It was no use to freak out now. - When did Gavin start to question his actions first?

"I must admit, you and Connor did some good work. You did pretty well... Actually I didn't think you would find my clues that fast. But however. You're sitting in a cell, and I'm gonna find your boyfriend as well, sooner or later. Before he can do anything about that. Besides that - The tin-can is useless. Completely without any rights, right?"

Now Jamie reached a point, where Gavin lost his patience. He approached the glass pane and showed Jamie a contemptuous look. "You're keeping your hands off of Connor, you hear me?"

But Jamie just lifted his brows and grinned. "So I was right that there's more to it than you admitted."

Gavin clenched his teeth to prevent himself to heat up more than it was necessary.

"How does it feel to fuck an android, Gavin? Does he fill your pathetic needs, yes? Is he _good_?" he asked.

The edge of Gavin's mouth twitched, and he clenched his fist. Jamie could be glad that there was a glass pane between them. Otherwise, he would have hit him because he definitely earned it.

"You're the pathetic one, Jamie. That you're making jokes about it and think you would annoy me with this," Gavin said. A desperate need to tease Jamie rose inside of him. He wanted to test his boundaries.

"What exactly keeps you from killing me right here and now, huh?" He lifted an eyebrow. "There's no one else at the precinct you said, right?" He was sure if Jamie would enter the cell, he was able to overpower him. Even with the handcuffs, which he now lifted a little bit.

"Wouldn't it be perfect? What on earth can I do, cuffed with these?" he asked and grinned cheekily. "Come on, Jamie. If you're so tough, come inside and show me that you've got some fucking balls in these pants and that you're not a fucking coward who's talking shit."

Gavin saw, how Jamie blushed, while he was looking at him with a despicable glance.

He turned tails. But before he turned around, he had to add something of course and if it was just to scare Gavin off. "I'm going to find him, Gavin and if I have to shot a bullet between his eyes. They'll send him back to Cyberlife and rip him apart. But be sure, before he'll shut down, I'm gonna take my time with him, and after that, there will be nothing left of his central unit to clear things up."

Gavin bit his tongue and just looked at him. Every other word would just heat him up and would make things worse. So he turned around and went over to his cot. The thought of Connor, being tortured by Jamie felt unbearable. But he had to stand and ignore it because Jamie didn't deserve that much attention.

***

The other morning, Connor made his way to Cyberlife and arrived at around ten o'clock. He had taken a Taxi and had to identify himself, but he said he had to talk to Natalie. When they asked him why, Connor created the lie, it was because of a maintenance session. If someone had controlled his stress-level, they would have seen that it was around 86 percent.

He had to act fast when he talked to Natalie. Connor already reckoned that they would arrest him. Lately when he would come down to the main hall again to go back to Jericho. Fowler surely had informed Cyberlife in the meantime.

Connor didn't have to wait long for Natalie. When he entered the 45th floor, she already came along the hallway and seemed confused to see him, completely alone.

"Did something happen?" she asked, while they went over to her office.

"Please let us talk about this in your office," Connor replied.

Natalie had noticed his displeasure, and she seemed to worry. "What's going on?" she asked him after closing the door behind them.

Connor didn't even sit down. "Natalie, I'm in trouble, just like Gavin."

She narrowed her eyes. "Okay, from the start, please." Natalie was able to see in his eyes that something terribly wrong had happened.

"Gavin and I got a name, thanks to Kamski. It would have helped us with the case immensely. In the meantime, I believe it was kind of information we shouldn't have been able to achieve. After we came back from a crime scene yesterday, Gavin got arrested. I don't know why. But I'm afraid it has something to do with the clue we got."

Natalie palmed her mouth, completely in shock.

"They would've loved to keep me there too, but I could take flight. Natalie, you have to help me!"

She saw the despair in his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Connor, I can't do that!" she replied.

"You're my last hope, Natalie. We pulled another group of deviants into this who wanted to help us to solve the case. But the person who should establish a connection is corrupt. Another one is already dead. Natalie, we're fucked!"

"What group is this, Connor?" she asked, and Connor wasn't sure what to answer, because he didn't want to blow Markus's cover.

"The group is bigger than I thought. But Markus, their leader, doesn't want to help me. He fears the risk and the lives of the other group-members. He doesn't realise the danger connected to all of this and retreats.

Natalie took a step back from him. "Connor, I..."

"Natalie! I need Gavin! Whatever reason it is why they arrested him - It has no foundation! But without Markus, I'm not able to get Gavin out of this!"

"What do you think I can do, Connor? - Besides the fact that I'm risking to lose my job with this."

Connor approached her and took her hands in his. Natalie didn't fight back. "You can help them. You have to tell them that they have to claim their rights as a deviant! That the life they are living is useless in the long run. They're shutting themselves off, one by one. Is that what Cyberlife really pursues - Or you?"

He took a significant break before he added. "Natalie! Please!"

Connor could tell that something in Natalie set in motion. She cared about what happened.

"You know they'll disassemble me if they find me!" Connor said, and she bit her lips, followed by a frown.

Connor usually didn't demand something. Not like this. But when Natalie wanted to speak up again, he interrupted her. "I love him, Natalie! Who knows it better than you? I _have_ to help him," he told her, and she sighed.

For a short moment, Natalie closed her eyes. When she looked at Connor again, she snorted. "I always knew, you would be my downfall somewhen," she said, and Connor glanced at her, begging.

"So you're going to help me?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"Yeah... fuck it... Come!" she replied.

She took her jacket out of a locker and put it on. If Connor was honest, he didn't ever see Natalie without her work coat.

"We're taking my car!"

"Thank you, Natalie," he said and pulled her in his arms when she came over to him.

"Yeah, yeah, come... No sentimentalism now! Let's hope my old rust-heap won't fuck up on our way out of this mess!" she replied and patted Connor on his back.


	25. Androids marching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor takes care of a visit that is long overdue.
> 
> Meanwhile, Gavin waits in his cell and has no idea what will happen next.
> 
> Markus, Connor and Natalie also prepare for the peaceful protest in front of the DPD, where negotiations finally take place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have fun reading! ;)
> 
> \---
> 
> CWs for this chapter: Suicide (mentioned), visiting a Cemetery

"You can't just bring a human here, Connor. Did you even think about that first?" Markus wasn't excited when Connor showed up with Natalie at the Jericho.

"She's from Cyberlife! She wants to help us," Connor explained, but now Markus frowned.

"From Cyberlife? Are you-" Markus started but got interrupted by Natalie.

"Hey, hey, hey! Can I explain for a moment? Please?" she said, and Markus turned his head to look at her. "I'm not here to blow your cover or anything else. I'm risking my job being here, but Connor begged me to help. So I came over and well... fuck my job then."

"Could you at least explain in which kind of relation you stand with her?" Markus asked Connor and Connor took a look at her before he glanced at Markus again.

"She's practically my mother. Natalie activated me and also is one of the people who developed my system, my software and some other things." Connor waited for another moment. "We can trust her. There's no reason to despise her."

He let it settle for a moment, and Markus took a deep artificial breath and eyed Natalie. "I'm sorry. I'm just not very fond of humans and their behaviour. As you can see, there's a reason why we're here and not out in the open."

"I understand that. But be sure, if I had anything bad in mind, I would have kept Connor back there, and he already would be disassembled." Natalie seemed to know exactly how to deal with Markus, so Connor didn't say anything more.

"So, why exactly are you here?" Markus asked, now in a more polite tone.

"I'm here to kick your ass!" she said, and Markus cocked his head. "Did you ever think about to claim your rights? To stand up and go on the streets to negotiate with the humans? I can't imagine that you call this a life if you're shutting down one by one. Which is actually a shame after you developed something like deviancy."

"We can't blow our cover. Not after everything we've been through. It's not just that we developed deviancy. We agreed to help the DPD with this case and the result isn't what we suspected. One of us is dead, the other - I don't dare to make an assumption."

Natalie looked at Markus while he went on. "Ecco here - It was her partner who was killed because we wanted to help! She still can hear her voice in her head. We're mourning, even if humans think we don't. We can't even give her a decent funeral because she was handled like a piece of evidence!"

It wasn't easy for Markus to talk about this. "Humans still look at us like at machines. Go to the city and take a look around. It's still rare that owners handle their androids with a certain respect," Markus told her.

"Humans are just like that. You can't expect to be handled with respect if you don't intervene or claim your rights," Natalie said.

Connor stood beside her and listened, but noticed that some androids turned away while they talked to Markus. But what did he expect? That everyone was praising him for doing a good job? The short time Connor got to know the other androids, he had learned that their trust in humans wasn't very good, so it was just reasonable that they weren't euphoric.

"What if I blow our cover with this? I don't want to lose more of my people," Markus tried to explain, but Natalie shook her head.

"Think about it. If you just remain silent, you'll never reach your goal to be respected. You can't demand something you didn't even ask for. Do you understand? And if you just do nothing, every one of you will shut down sooner or later."

Markus didn't answer, but Connor sensed that he was thinking about Natalie's words and what to make out of this situation.

"It could be a chance for all of you to change something about your life and your rights. If you remain calm and just protest, they'll see that you're willing to negotiate. Now they expect you to cause a riot and that's why they're scared and overreact." She paused a moment. "Being a deviant means you have a certain responsibility. You can take it to use it to your advances. To show, that they have no reason to be scared and that you're just like them. Do you understand?"

"To be honest, her words sound logical to me," Simon said, and Markus glanced at him. He took a step forward. "I'm sorry, I'm Simon."

Natalie nodded, and Simon looked at Markus again.

"Freedom Markus. Wasn't it what you always talked about?" Simon asked him, and Markus dropped his glance.

"Sure... I just..." He bit his lips and then looked at Connor. "You sure, the hint you've got is helpful to solve your case?"

"It is. But I need Gavin to go on with it. We have to do something. Otherwise, you'll all be shut down somewhen. Markus, we helped you. Now help us, please." Connor looked at him, his glance almost begging. "Help Gavin."

Markus still hesitated, but then another voice spoke up from the background.

"Markus, what did I tell you once, when you came to Jericho?" Lucy's voice sounded sublime, and when Connor saw Natalie's glance, he was sure that both of them would have a chat later.

Markus took a deep artificial breath. "You told me that my choice will change our destiny."

Now Simon laid a hand on Markus's shoulder. "You're our leader. You can do this," he encouraged him, and Connor noticed a slight smile on Markus's lips.

Then he nodded. "Okay... Okay, we'll do this!" Markus said and looked around at the others and then back to Connor and Natalie.

***

The other morning, when Gavin woke up, he felt miserable. His back hurt, and since he didn't sleep very long, he was also tired and didn't want to get up.

His colleague Chris brought him some breakfast and remained a moment in front of his cell. "Breakfast, Gavin," he said, and Gavin turned around, his hair tousled and his eyes full of sleep.

"For fuck's sake... Thanks, Chris," he said when he stood up and went over to the tablet they had put in his cell. He sat down on the floor to start eating - What, by all means, wasn't easy while still being cuffed.

"They plan to interrogate you in about an hour," Chris reported and hunkered down to be on his eye-level.

Gavin took a bite of the bread Chris had given him and glanced at his colleague. "Do you know, who 'they' is?" he asked while he chewed.

"Sadly, no."

Gavin sighed. "Can't you at least take these off? My wrists already hurt, and it's reaching up to my shoulders."

But Chris shook his head. "I'm sorry, I hope they'll take them off when they interrogate you. How did you even get yourself into this?" Chris wanted to know, and Gavin wiped his eyes.

"You better don't ask, since I don't know either." He paused for a moment and lifted the cup he had brought him. "Tea? Are you fucking serious?" Gavin asked, and Chris smirked. Gavin drunk it anyway.

A few minutes later, Gavin was finished and shoved the tablet through the slit of his cell.

"Chris?" he asked and eyed the surroundings.

"Huh?" his colleague asked, and Gavin leaned forward.

"Any news about Connor?" His voice sounded worried. Gavin didn't know if Chris was aware of the fact that they would disassemble him if they found him, but he asked anyway. Just to know, if he was safe or not.

"No. He vanished and until now we didn't get any message that tells us otherwise," Chris replied and Gavin nodded.

"Okay, thanks!"

It was everything Gavin needed to know.

***

"That's all we got. We're going to the precinct and do a sit-in. Do you really think they will hear us and talk to us?" Markus asked, sitting on a chair in another room, together with Connor, Natalie, Simon and Josh.

"It's worth a try," Connor said.

"Maybe use some strategies other people used in history, while they've done something similar to this," Natalie suggested.

"What exactly do you mean?" Markus asked.

"Shout messages, hold a speech, sing... Whatever it takes!"

Now Markus seemed a little overwhelmed. It was Simon again, who gave him the needed reassurance. "You got this! You already talked to us when you joined us, remember?"

"Yeah, but you've been a few. Now it's the masses." As much as a leader he was, as much he was scared. Not just about losing his people through this but also how he should approach everything.

A moment of silence followed until Connor spoke up.

"The first time I met you, and we talked honestly, I noticed a particular energy radiating from you. I was unsure what it was back then, but now I think I immediately knew why you're their leader. Why they've chosen you. Markus, you have that one bit they all need to go to the streets, that one bit, every important person had in humans history, who changed something. It doesn't matter if it was Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman or whoever you look at, who fought for civil rights back then."

A slight smile crept up on Markus's lips. "You can't compare me to those people, Connor. I'm an android."

"Yeah, but you are a member of a group of people, who aren't treated the way they deserve."

Now Markus dropped his gaze again.

"You've got this! You have the right energy for exactly that, and everyone will follow you."

They talked about how to approach the whole situation and planned to march to the precinct on the same afternoon. On their way, they probably would be able to recruit other androids, and maybe also the press would be there, so they just couldn't shoot them down if they wouldn't become violent.

"You know what? I have a few connections I can use for that... Just let me make a few calls!" Natalie threw in and left the room, her smartphone in her hand.

Markus looked between Simon, Josh and Connor. "We gonna do this?"

"We do!" Connor replied.

"We do!" Josh said.

When Markus looked at Simon, he nodded and leaned forward to touch Markus's forehead with his. "You got this. We trust you."

Markus closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

After a moment of silence, Connor stood up.

"Where are you going?" Markus asked him.

"I have to visit an old friend of mine. I'll join you later on the way."

Connor had to do something he should have done in a long time. The thought of visiting Hank had come up within the last days. Even more, since Gavin had told him about Henry. Now it was time to pay him a visit.

It was overdue...

***

"Can you please take these fucking things off?" Gavin asked Tina, his colleague, who brought him over to the interrogation room.

"I can, but just to put on the other ones. Gavin, you already know how things are going."

"I don't even know who will interrogate me, since one of our Detectives is dead, while the other is sitting in a fucking interrogation room, cuffed. What do you even want to hear from me?" Gavin asked and sat down on the chair. "Would you now please take them off?"

Tina pulled out her keys, and Gavin stretched out his hands with his palms up. He wouldn't make any trouble. He just wanted to get rid of them and rub his wrists a bit.

It felt so good when the metal got away from his skin, and he grabbed his wrists to get a little relief. Not even seconds had passed, when Tina made a gesture at Gavin, who should cuff himself up again at the table.

"Would you just give me a fucking second, please?" Gavin grumbled and reluctantly cuffed himself again.

"Thank you, Gavin," Tina said.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't give me that. I never thought I would be handled like a serial-killer just because of some bullshit." Gavin replied. "Do I even get a cigarette, for fuck's sake? Or coffee?"

"I can take a look at that," Tina answered and gave him a short smile. "I'm sure they'll come anytime now."

Then she left the room, and he was alone.

He remembered the day when he stood on the other side of the mirror, together with Connor and Hank. Fucking good times...

***

It was cold.

Not that Connor noticed it really. But since his chassis always got a little stiff through the temperatures, he acted almost human, when he embraced himself after he arrived the cemetery.

The metal door shrieked in its angles when he opened it. Death was a construct, which he didn't understand. How would he even? If there was nothing serious, he would live forever. Forever seeing friends pass, family members go, new members, growing up and die again...

Connor had changed remarkably since Gavin had made him his partner.

Being with Hank before had shown him, that humankind was something fragile. He had learned too late that Hank fought with something that laid in his past. Connor just wished he could have avoided it. If he just has had enough time, they might have been friends now.

But even if Connor was almost immortal, he couldn't turn back time.

He went along the gravestones, one beside another. Written inscriptions telling stories of past lives. Pictures showing people loving each other.

And then there was Hank's grave.

Connor noticed a slight shiver running down his spine when he looked at the stone. The inscription told him that Hank was born on September the 6th, in 1986. Died on November the 6th... Not long ago.

Since he had gone, Connor's whole life had turned upside down.

And as sad as it sounded, without Hank dying, he wouldn't be with Gavin either.

"I should've come earlier, I know." His voice was more of a whisper, a mere shadow of him talking to another person. His arms crossed on his chest, he eyed the fine lines of the marble, framing Hank's name and data on the stone.

"I just couldn't." He asked himself, why he was even talking since Hank surely couldn't hear him. But in a way, he felt the need to talk to Hank. To get it rid of his chest. As if he was searching redemption of all this time without him.

He didn't say another single word. But being here was everything he needed. He looked down on the grave, hunkered down and picked up a single leaf to throw it aside.

Within these moments, he wished he would have had more time with Hank. He was sure that they would have been friends by now. Maybe he would escort Hank to Jimmy's bar, acting like a drinking buddy and just have fun doing it. He would have spent his lunch breaks with him at the Chicken Feed and remind Hank of his calorie intake and whatnot. And if it was just for teasing purposes.

Hank had been a good man. Yet still, Connor didn't understand, why exactly he had committed suicide. It just didn't go into his head.

Inwardly, he thanked Hank for everything. For being with him until the time had come for him to go and Connor had turned deviant. It had changed everything. At least for Connor.

"We're gonna do this. And I promise I'll see you again, Hank. Somehow..." he whispered and stood up.

Their time had been limited. But hopefully, he could do Hank justice by solving the case and become an android, who didn't belong to those who Hank once despised.

***

It was exhausting.

Everything Gavin had said, they just wrote down and didn't even comment. Just standardized questions. Like with every other criminal. By a detective, who didn't work at the precinct for very long.

When Gavin was back at his cell, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. The artificial light annoyed him. It hurt in his eyes. And absolutely no sign of the point when they would release him.

The detective had asked him about Connor. About their relationship. What Gavin thought where he could go now. Of course, he had lied! It had been enough to tell the detective that he and Connor were in a relationship for a while and what had happened at Hank's house.

His hint to ask Jamie Wallace had been ignored. Accusing another officer always had been a thing which they ignored at first because if one was seriously guilty, the person tried everything to pull other people down with him. But that was something Gavin already had known, so he wasn't mad about the fact that they didn't believe him.

It didn't take long until Chris appeared at his cell again, together with a pizza box and a bottle of water. "Have some lunch, Gav?" he asked, and Gavin sighed.

"Finally something to eat," he said and went over to the glass pane, waiting for Chris to shove the pizza box and the bottle through the opening. "At least it's a decent topping. Thanks!" he said after he opened the box and saw that it was a Pepperoni-Salami pizza.

Since they had applied the cuffs again, eating was quite a bit tricky, but the first bite felt so good on his tongue, that he had to close his eyes for a moment. Gavin would enjoy every bit of this beverage.

"Did you see that, Gav?" Chris asked, and Gavin looked up to him.

"What do you mean?"

Chris leaned against the glass pane and pointed at the TV, which hung in the break room. With a bit of luck, Gavin could watch it.

It showed a big group of people, marching down a street. Gavin couldn't figure, who exactly it was, but the subtitle spoke for itself.

**_ANDROIDS MARCHING: Are we facing a revolution?_ **

Gavin frowned and froze in his chewing movements. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he asked and swallowed.

The androids on the TV lifted their hands, just as if they raised the white flag. They moved in sync, proclaiming different messages like "We are alive" and "We are people" among other things. It was a march, that was second to none, and after all he had experienced, it impressed him deep down inside.

"And look who's right at the front with them," Chris said, a big fat smile on his face.

Gavin's eyes were pinned on the TV, and the moment Markus appeared, together with Connor, his heart jumped. "Oh my gosh," he mumbled, his voice full of admiration.

"They're heading over here. At least in the direction of the precinct," Chris told him, and Gavin shook his head. "Your boyfriend is coming to get you, Gavin," he teased, and Gavin couldn't help but grin. "And he brings a whole fucking army."

"Oh, fuck off, Chris," he replied, his eyes still pinned on the TV. Connor looked so good, so self-confident and together with the group, it was just impressive.

Gavin only hoped they wouldn't present an ambush when the androids arrived at the precinct. Their march could be a possibility to clear things up. But it also could be the worst thing they had thought of. Gavin's fingers were crossed. He hoped for the best.

***

To walk with the group felt strange to Connor. But it was for a good cause. Not just to free Gavin, but also to claim particular rights for the androids. Markus was at his side, so as Natalie. Even she marched with them, not being an android herself. Just the fact that she went with them proved that she got his back.

And Connor loved it!

He went with them, spoke their proclaims. The words "We are alive!" on his lips.

When they entered the area of the precinct, Connor got fidgety. His artificial heart hammered against his chest, and he hoped, they wouldn't welcome them with a volley of gunshots, only to get rid of the problem. It had been one of these things he had talked about with Markus. But in the end, they had agreed that this was a risk they had to take.

They gathered in front of the precinct, still with Markus and Connor at the front.

When the whole group arrived, Markus took a look around. In the meantime, some police officers had come out and positioned themselves in front of the doors and the sides of the main entrance, their weapons at the ready.

The androids waited. Markus and Connor, so as Josh had agreed to wait until one of them would come out to negotiate. Or at least to talk to them about what they wanted.

But they didn't have to wait that long.

It took around five minutes of taciturnity until the front door of the precinct opened. "What do you want?" a police officer asked them, who Connor didn't know.

After he reassured himself again, Markus spoke up. "We claim the right to negotiate. This isn't a violent revolution. We're just here to talk." he said, and after a few moments, he returned into the building.

Now Connor heard the noise of a helicopter and soon after that, he saw it up in the air, hovering above the building. On it the logo of the most known news-channel of Detroit.

"I guess your calls were worth it!" he said to Natalie and she placed a hand on Connor's shoulder.

"I always knew it would pay off one day to sustain particular connections," she replied, and Connor gave her a bright smile.

***

Inside the building, everything was in turmoil. Officers running around, someone had volumed up the TV, so Gavin didn't have any problems to listen to it at all.

_"They're gathering in front of the precinct. We estimate that there are around 250 individuals, led by two particular androids. They try to negotiate with the authorities. Until now, we don't know what they're up to. But one of their leaders told that this isn't a revolution. Did you understand? This is not a revolution! Back to you, Johnny."_

They were seriously here to negotiate. And if Connor was with them, Gavin knew they also were here because of him, because Connor would want to get him out of here.

By all means, through all these years, the precinct has had some particular cases which brought much trouble with it. But this was a completely different thing. This thing was just like the events back then, when civil rights for certain groups of people weren't as sophisticated as today.

All this time he had despised androids and hoped that they would just disappear again. Now he longed for the moment they would get the right to just live as people. Just not because they would be free. Also, he and Connor could maybe live an ordinary life.

Just like other people.

But then the 'silence' was broken by Fowler's voice in the bullpen. "Get Connor and this damn leader of the group in here, for fuck's sake!"

He didn't sound very ready to negotiate. Nevertheless, now things got quite interesting.

***

It didn't take long after Markus, Connor and the group had shown up and had been asked why they were here until Chris showed up at the porch of the precinct.

"Connor?" he called him, and Connor looked up.

"Chris?" he asked.

"Fowler wants to see you. Get in here and bring your friend."

"Is he ready and willing to negotiate?" Connor wanted to know, and Chris shrugged his shoulders.

"At least he isn't rash and drives up a brigade."

Connor looked at Markus, who then looked at Simon.

"Watch over them. If there's something unusual, retreat. I don't want to risk more problems than necessary." Simon nodded and looked at the group, together with Markus.

Inwardly, Connor listened to Markus's voice, who recommended to sit down and just wait for them to come back. He also instructed that Simon had the lead if it was necessary."

The group followed his advice, and soon they all sat on the ground.

Once more, Markus looked at Connor and nodded. "Okay, let's go," he said, and together they walked over to the main entrance and entered the precinct.

Their way to Fowler was escorted by a few police-officers and Fowler already waited for them in the doorframe of his office.

The door remained open, and two officers guarded the door. Ready to intervene.

"So! What do you want from me, Connor?" Fowler asked, leaning back in his chair and looking at them.

Connor exchanged a short glance with Markus, who nodded. It was the sign of Markus that Connor could negotiate first.

Now Connor's glance went over to Fowler. "Set Gavin free!"

But his demand was fruitless. Fowler shook his head and bit his lips. "Sorry, I'm not able to do that."

"But why? What the hell happened that one hour we haven't been at the precinct?" Connor asked. If they wouldn't set Gavin free, he wanted to know why.

"He's a suspect in a case. You can be happy that the press is out there because if not, I would have confiscated you the second you entered this building."

Connor narrowed his eyes. "Sir, I don't understand."

Fowler didn't have any other choice than to explain. "While you've both been away, Hank's ID-card was found in Gavin's desk, and because we're suspecting him to cover you, he was arrested."

"What?" Connor said. "Hank's ID-card was missing the day his suicide happened. Why in the world should Gavin cover me? I didn't do anything wrong!"

Fowler looked at him as if he didn't believe it either, but he didn't seem to have another option. "I can't set him free, be that as it may. What else do you want from me, showing up here with a whole crowd of androids?" he asked.

It was Markus who stepped in.

"My name is Markus. I worked with Gavin and Connor on the said case and we risked the life of some of our members to get further clues. After one of us died, Connor contacted me, and now that Gavin is arrested, we can't go on with clearing things up. We have some clues, but can't go on. We're here to ask you to set Gavin free, so we can work together again. Since we're androids, this case is also our concern because more and more androids vanish and we don't know why. We're not people's puppets, and since Connor and Gavin already have a name for a suspect, we need to sort this out."

Fowler seemed to think.

"But since we don't have any rights to clear it up for ourselves, we need your help. Also, we hoped, helping you would also be proof enough that we're not the enemy. Humans created us to help them, but they still treat us as if we are a threat. We don't demand it, but people have to start thinking about that we deserve particular rights because we are people. Just like you!"

Connor wasn't sure if Fowler would lean into what Markus said, but he was already impressed again by the manner Markus told him what he wanted.

He just hoped everything would turn out as good as possible.


	26. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Markus finally negotiate with Fowler.
> 
> Plans are made...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 26!
> 
> I hope you have fun reading. ;)
> 
> \---
> 
> CWs for this chapter: Murder (mentioned), Suicide (mentioned)

Fowler shook his head. "You can't come here and demand certain rights or anything else. Even if I would be willing to change that, I couldn't, because I'm not the one who decides such stuff."

Connor had to hold himself back because he knew it was just Fowler's reluctance to help them. He knew Fowler had the necessary contacts, he just didn't want to do the paperwork. At least for the all-determined case!

"Sir, is there anything we can negotiate to satisfy every one of us?" Connor asked, his voice still calm.

"No, Connor. And I honestly have enough of this bitching. I can't do anything about your rights."

"We just want to go on with this case to reduce the mentioned danger for our people and to clear things up. Is that too much to ask?"

Markus tried to hold Connor back because now he leaned forward in Fowler's direction and he didn't want Connor to lose it.

"Come on, Connor. We'll go," Markus said, and Connor shook him off, just to let out an annoyed "Damnit!" the next moment.

"Sir, we're sitting it out and be sure, if the press asks us about what's going on, we're telling everything we're able to," Markus said, and the two of them went outside.

***

Gavin had heard Connor through the glass when he was in Fowler's office, and he tried to see him when he left it again. But sadly, he wasn't able to, so he sat back on the bench in his cell and tried to remain calm.

***

When they came back to Natalie and Simon, they looked at them.

"So, did you negotiate?" Natalie asked.

"We tried, but Fowler is too reluctant, and he won't set Gavin free, or will he contact some authorities. He doesn't even let us go on with the case to clear it up," Connor reported, and Natalie shook her head.

"Furthermore, I'm a suspect now as it seems," Connor mentioned.

"For what?" Natalie wanted to know.

"For killing my former partner. They accuse me of killing him and Gavin got arrested for obviously covering me. They would've liked it to confiscate me. Just because the press is here, they didn't do anything like that." Connor's voice sounded disappointed, and he looked on the floor.

"The question is: What do we do now? His will to negotiate isn't very high," Markus asked.

"You'll sit it out! If you wait, they gonna have to do something!" Natalie recommended. "If it's just until tomorrow. Just wait it out. You already started something, and I'm sure the longer you wait, the more the press will be interested in what's going on. Maybe they'll come over for an interview or something. And you can't tell me that the DPD can afford some bad press, can it?"

Connor and Markus looked at each other and back at Natalie again.

"Okay, then we just wait," Markus decided.

At noon, Natalie disappeared for a few minutes, and when she came back, she had brought something to eat for her and Connor. "Have you tried a Hot Dog until now?" she asked, but Connor shook his head.

"No, but I'm gonna give it a try. That looks delicious," he said, and Natalie handed one over to him.

"It's not much for your system to nourish everything, but it's okay," she meant. After taking a bite, Connor lifted his eyebrows and nodded.

"Not bad at all."

***

They waited. In the meantime, they called out their demands.

They sang songs of the old times and Connor felt good being one of them. The once so-called deviant hunter stood with his kin, sung as loud as he could and smiled because it touched his core.

Even Natalie sang with them.

After a few hours, Natalie got cold and crossed her arms in front of her chest. The temperatures reached a freezing character. She got herself another coffee from a nearby shop, but her fingers still shivered a bit.

"I can warm you up, if you want," Connor said and showed a slight smile, which she replied.

"It would be pretty nice, I guess."

Connor set his heating system in motion, and around five minutes later, he was the perfect heating-pad for her. She embraced Connor on his chest and sighed.

"With every time I see you, I'm more and more convinced that you're the best thing I ever created," she said, and Connor chuckled.

"I'm afraid it won't last very long, but if it helps, I'm glad," Connor gave back and placed his arms around her.

They remained patient, waited.

***

Gavin kept himself busy by watching the TV. The look of everything was almost heartbreaking. How they endured the cold outside and spent hour after hour in front of the DPD.

Around six almost everybody at the precinct huddled up in front of the TV when Connor and Markus had an interview with one of the journalists. He talked about standing there to demand their rights, that they tried to negotiate but that the precinct wasn't very willing.

They asked Connor different questions, and he told them that he worked as an investigation assistant at the precinct. The journalist was quite interested in it, but Connor tried to remain factual, so he didn't give away any details. Mostly, they stayed with the rights of androids and tried to make the best out of it.

Gavin sighed, and the next moment he heard the sounds of the door panel outside his cell, and he turned his head.

With a gesture of his hand, Fowler asked Gavin to follow him, and after another glance at the TV, he went with him.

Fowler led him to the interrogation room and opened the door. After they entered the room, Fowler closed the door and leaned against it. Gavin just sat down on the chair and looked at him.

"Doesn't feel so good to be cornered by around 250 androids in front of the precinct, does it, Jeffrey?" Gavin asked, his voice calm.

They glanced at each other and Gavin got the impression, that Jeffrey maneuvered himself into a position where he needed some help.

"What do you think how I should handle it now?" Fowler asked Gavin, who shrugged his shoulders.

"What did they ask for?" Gavin wanted to know.

"Connor wanted me to set you free, so you can go on with the case," Fowler reported. "The other asked me for the same since his group is involved in it. Of course, they think they could establish something like trust in them if they help us, but..."

"But? Be honest, Jeffrey. Connor is way more human than many real humans, and you can trust him." He took a small break. "Do you honestly think he killed Hank?"

Fowler sighed. "I'm not really sure about that anymore."

"He risked being confiscated the moment he appeared in front of the precinct, Jeffrey. Would he do that if he killed Hank? Why should I cover him?" Gavin tried to explain.

Still no reaction from Fowler.

"You have to do something. We both know that you have to make things right, Jeffrey."

His superior bit his lips. "Wallace is missing." Gavin clearly saw that it was pissing him off.

Gavin lifted his eyebrows. "Since when?"

"He had the morning shift, but he didn't show up. We can't reach him, and his phone is turned off. We can't localize him."

It almost urged Gavin to grin, but he held himself back. "I told you, something's wrong with him, haven't I?" he asked, and Fowler nodded.

"I read your interrogation report. You said, he murdered Hank, and he's responsible for all this?"

Gavin nodded. "I did."

Now Fowler gasped. "For fuck's sake, Gavin."

"I did, and I'm gonna tell everyone who wants to hear it. Watch the surveillance videos, if you want to know more. Wallace stood in front of my cell and confessed it to me, I-"

"I watched them... God damnit!" Fowler spat out and the way he said it, proved that he knew that Gavin told him the truth.

"Do you believe he's able to find Wallace?" Fowler asked him a few moments of silence later.

"He is... But Wallace isn't the only problem," Gavin explained. Sadly, Fowler didn't even know about North and the risk of her being corrupt.

"What do you mean?"

"The moment you arrested me, I wanted to tell you some important news. One of the androids we used to get a connection to the ring, is corrupt. Markus told us the evening we found another member of his group dead at the said crime scene." Gavin knew it wasn't the best moment, but it would be better, to be honest with such information.

"You're not in a good position to demand something from these androids, Jeffrey. At least not if the press is so interested in them like shown on TV. Sooner or later-" He had told it to Jeffrey in a low tone, but his superior already knew that Gavin was right.

"What the fuck should I do with them now?"

"Negotiate. That's the only possibility to pull you out of there and make things right. You know me long enough and also my mindset about androids, but even I realised that there's more to them than I thought first."

It took a moment until Fowler spoke up again. "You know I have to hold back Connor if all of this isn't working out, don't you?"

That was a point, Fowler already announced back then when he had arrested Gavin. He knew, if Connor wouldn't find Jamie and North, they would send him back to Cyberlife and disassemble him. But Gavin also knew well enough, that Connor was aware of this.

He would lose him if things would go downhill. But he also was aware of Connor's abilities, and so he hoped that everything would turn out the way as planned.

"I know, and believe me - _He_ does as well."

***

The temperatures outside got colder. When Connor looked up to the sky, he could already sense that it would start snowing within the next hours. This wouldn't be an accurate place for Natalie anymore. Even if she drunk a coffee once in a while and used him as a warming pad.

"Don't worry, Connor. I'm okay", she had said to him.

The moment, Chris showed up at the main entrance, Connor looked up, and they exchanged a glance.

"Something's happening," Connor said, and Markus followed his gaze.

Chris didn't remain at the entrance. He made his way to Connor to talk to him directly.

"Fowler wants to talk to you again," he told him.

"Is he ready to negotiate?" Connor asked, and Chris cocked his head.

"In a way," he replied.

Connor looked at Markus, who looked back and they nodded at each other before they went back to the precinct with Chris.

***

Chris didn't lead them to Fowler's office. Instead, he brought them to the interrogation room and opened the door for them.

Fowler sat on a chair beside the desk and stood up when Connor entered the room. But there was someone else who caught his eye.

"Gavin!" he said and went straight over to his partner to pull him into his arms.

Gavin couldn't hug him back because he still was cuffed, but he grabbed for Connor's jacket, and they leaned their foreheads against each other. "I missed you so much," Connor whispered. It was just a short moment of proximity, but after being without him, Connor immediately felt better.

"Hey, hey. We have to talk, remember?" Fowler admonished them, and even if it was hard, Connor let go of him. "Sit down, so we can talk as planned."

Connor and Markus did as they were told.

Fowler spoke up right on the spot. "Just to be clear: I can't set him free! The whole thing seems ridiculous, but I need proof that he and also you aren't responsible for Hank's death. About everything else, we can discuss."

Connor didn't like it that Fowler wouldn't set Gavin free, but if everything else was negotiable, maybe there was a way that things would work out.

"There's a thing you don't know, Connor," Gavin said while he leaned against the wall of the room and his partner looked up to him. "Did you ever heard of Jamie Wallace?"

Connor frowned, and he shook his head. But through his mind went the thought of the guy, who had looked at him a few days ago, when Connor had come back from the break room to bring Gavin a mug of coffee. "No, but I... What do you wanna say?" he asked.

"I told it to Fowler, and I'll tell you. This guy is responsible not just for Hank's death, but also for his wallet in my desk. I don't know it for sure, but he confessed to me, that he's part of the ring and a mole who's spying out the precinct. He placed the false evidence at the crime scenes we found," Gavin explained.

"He's a threat, and since we know that North seems to be corrupt, we have two suspects we have to arrest before anything worse happens."

The news hit Connor right in the guts. "What do you mean, he's responsible for Hank's death? What-"

Gavin shook his head. "As it seems, Hank didn't commit suicide. This guy murdered him in the process. At least it's what he confessed to me. But we don't know yet which role Hank played in this, and that's another reason we have to arrest this fucker."

Connor couldn't believe it. After all this time, the thoughts and conversations in his mind palace. It would finally make sense. "But... How can we do that?" Now he looked at Fowler and Markus spoke up.

"We don't have the rights to arrest him, right? At least, not without a human guiding and escorting us. What do you have in mind?" he asked Fowler.

"Since we're already acting in a grey area, that doesn't matter. In theory, you can go and arrest Wallace without any further ado from the precinct. Bring him here and probably the other deviant and our deal is done. If he confesses the things Gavin told me, I'm gonna set him free, and everything will hopefully be solved," Fowler explained. "I just can't provide you with any help. You'll have to do this by yourself."

Connor took a deep artificial breath. Another thing which came to his mind consisted of his abilities, as well as the work he had done at the precinct. He was an investigation assistant, but not a police officer who had the necessary properties to arrest a person. But if needed, he would manage somehow. In the end, Markus and his group were with him.

For a moment, Connor and Markus exchanged glances. "We can do this!" Markus sent him through his thoughts.

"Okay," Connor said and then looked to Gavin. "We're gonna get you out of this."

Then Markus and Connor stood up, so as Fowler.

Connor reached out his hand to Fowler. "Can we count on you, sir?" he asked, and they eyed each other.

Fowler hesitated but then shook his hand on it. "Bring me this fucker, Connor!" he said, and Connor gave him a nod.

***

Sadly, Connor didn't even get five minutes to talk to Gavin, and it bothered him on their way back to the Jericho. Natalie was with them, and Connor had told her what happened on the way. She called it a small success and that it was now up to Connor and Markus's group to do everything to solve the situation.

"I'm confident that you got this, Connor," she had said, and he had been glad about it.

***

The mood on the Jericho was at least a little relieved.

Connor was on his way to Markus, Simon and Josh, who wanted to talk with him about the plan and how they would arrange it to get not just Jamie Wallace but also North in one go. On his way to the upper office, he went by the fireplace of Lucy. Natalie sat beside her, and they seemed to have a nice conversation.

This place had become familiar for Connor. But not that kind of familiar as Gavin's apartment. Gavin's apartment meant home, it meant comfort, it meant... proximity for Connor. He appreciated Jericho for being the home to so many deviants. But in a way, deep inside himself, he was already looking forward to the point where he would be at his home again. Together with Gavin. But first, they had to solve this case. Hopefully, it would turn out as manageable. Otherwise, everything would be lost anyway, since they would capture Connor and send him back to Cyberlife.

But for now, Connor didn't even want to think about it.

He went up the stairs to the office. Markus had sat down on one of the chairs, while Simon leaned on a desk's edge, his arms crossed on his chest. When Connor joined them, Josh came after him and closed the door.

Markus looked serious. "We have to be careful. I'm thankful for everything Fowler said, and if it works out, I'm glad. But we need to be cautious with this."

Connor nodded. If they would act reckless, they would probably lose other members of the group.

"How do we approach this? How do usual police officers deal with that?" Markus asked Connor, who had to focus on what he had learned with Gavin and with Hank back then.

"Usually, they observe different places for a certain amount of time and wait. They wait for the particular persons to appear and then they'll strike. But with what I learned, I can tell you that we don't do that alone or with another partner. A group of people will be necessary, always connected to each other, and able to arrest the person. We also need some tools to fix them up so they can't run away or something."

"I don't see any problem with that in terms of your colleague, but with North," Markus said. "She's an android, well trained and I guess it will be easy for her to get rid of any fixing."

"Then we need enough people to overpower her. I don't say this lightly, believe me, but think about it. It wouldn't be a problem to break her legs or arms to get her down and get a confession out of her." Just the thought alone seemed to be a little harsh, but it was the only possibility.

Markus didn't seem to like it, but he understood Connor's intention. "Right," he said and sighed. "Speaking of the group. Who should we take with us?" he asked.

"I'm going with you," Simon said, and Markus immediately shook his head.

"No way. You remain here."

"Markus, I..."

"I need you here!" Markus intervened and stood up to look at him. His glance was thoughtful, worried and Connor immediately saw that Markus's relationship to Simon must have a similar quality like his with Gavin. "What if something happens to me? I need you on the freighter to be there when things are going down. Don't you understand?"

"You're underestimating me," Simon said.

"No! No, absolutely not." Markus placed his hand on Simon's shoulder. "I'm going to leave the responsibility for the group to you, Simon. You got this! I also couldn't take it if something would happen to you."

Simon dropped his glance. "I get it. Even if I don't like it."

The next thing they discussed with each other was the composition of the group.

"Okay, we have Connor and me. Who do you consider good and trained enough to go with us?" Markus asked in Simon's and Josh's direction.

"Do you already have someone in mind?" Simon asked, and Markus nodded.

"Ecco. I bet she'll revenge Ripple. She's also well-trained and would fit the group."

They talked about two other members of the group who could join them and decided to ask them later.

"There's just one thing I didn't think about," Markus told.

"And that is?" Connor replied.

"How do we locate them as fast as possible?"

***

Connor came back to the main hall of the freighter. The place where all deviants spent their evenings, talked and so much more. He located Natalie somewhere beside, sitting on a box and sat down next to her.

They eyed each other for a moment before Natalie leaned against Connor's shoulder and placed an arm around his waist.

"You okay?" Connor asked, and Natalie looked at him, placing her chin on his shoulder.

"Yes. They're all very nice to me."

Connor smiled and embraced her with one arm. He honestly didn't know where he would have been if he didn't go to Natalie that day to tell her what was going on. Connor was happy that she was with him, standing by his side.

"As it seems I already made a few friends," she told him, and Connor lifted his eyebrows.

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Lucy is an interesting character, and we chatted with each other while you've been with Markus and the others."

"That's great." Connor wasn't surprised since he already had assumed that they would get along pretty well.

"What have you decided? How are you gonna do this?" Natalie asked him and Connor sighed before he explained to her.

"We just don't know how to locate them as fast as possible. But..." The more Connor thought about it, the more the pieces of the puzzle came together. "Wait a minute," he said, and Natalie looked up.

"What do you have in mind?" she wanted to know, but Connor narrowed his eyes.

He wasn't sure if that was possible, but he had an idea. When they had found Ripple, her LED had been ripped off. They knew that North was one of those who was quite proud of wearing it and had to remove it. Didn't Markus mention that Ecco still heard her, even when she is dead?

"Tell me something, Natalie. Let's say there's an android who's taking the LED from another android. Is it possible to locate it through this?" he asked, and Natalie thought about that for a moment.

"There is actually the possibility. But not if the android is a deviant," she replied, and Connor cocked his head.

"What if the android was connected to another android? Like... something like a marriage or anything like that? I mean, I know we can connect to one another. But what about a deeper connection than this?"

"It sounds possible as well," Natalie listened to him with interest and Connor bit his lips.

"When we found Ripple, her LED was ripped off, and we didn't find it at the crime scene. Markus told me, that Ecco - her wife - can still hear her. What if North took Ripple's LED for herself? She had to remove her own before she had been sent out to get a connection to the ring." Connor still looked a little insecure, but then Natalie slowly nodded.

"You should tell Markus. Maybe that's the clue you need, and North doesn't even know."

The next moment, Connor cupped Natalie's face and pecked her cheek. "You're a true blessing, you know that?" he said, and she chuckled.

"Don't be happy too soon. But I'm glad to help."

***

It worked! They weren't sure if they would find Jamie Wallace as well, but after Connor told Markus about his idea, they had called Ecco to help even if it was hard for her. Within around ten minutes they got proof that it was actually North, Ecco had heard all the time.

"Can you locate her anyhow?" Markus asked and Ecco, who had to focus on the signals, took her time.

After a few minutes, she looked at Markus. "It's not exact because the LED seems slightly damaged, but I'll send you the coordinates."

When Connor got them, he identified it as a place near West Riverfront Park. Since this place was well known as a meeting point for the ring, it could be the only possibility. She was out there, lurking or working for the ring...

"Ecco, would you observe for the next hours what she's talking and give us a report?" Markus asked her, his voice gentle.

Connor saw it in her eyes that it was quite hard, and she couldn't decide on the spot, but with a few more words from Markus, she leaned in.

"We know it's hard for you. But you can revenge her, Ecco. Please," he begged, and Ecco nodded.

"Okay, I'll do it."

Of course, it would have been possible for them to go over and get her, but not without any preparations. If Ecco was able to observe her for the whole time, they had the chance to intervene the other evening.

***

The other day they got the confirmation from Ecco that North was moving. But the places she moved, weren't very clear. Ecco observed her hour after hour and with every other, she got more eager to get her.

"Give it a rest, Ecco. You need your reserves for later," Josh tried her to calm down, but she shook her head.

"I'm gonna find this bitch and then we're gonna track her down," she said.

Connor only heard it on the sidelines, but he was glad that his clue had worked out.

Later that day, the group counselled again to talk about the evening. Ecco was sure about North being at the West Riverfront Park again since she had said it to someone in her direct surroundings. Connor provided a picture of Jamie Wallace to the others, so they would immediately know where to look at.

In the end, they all looked at each other.

"We got this! We're going there, and we'll get them," Markus encouraged the others. "We've already come to this point. Nobody will stop us to do this and get our freedom!" Then he looked at Connor. "And Gavin's too."

Connor smiled at him, and he had to admit, that it was a good feeling. He was surrounded by his people, seeing them working for something belonging themselves and also him. That he was one of them.

Not just a lone wolf.

**Author's Note:**

> New chapters will always be released on Fridays or Saturdays! Mostly between 7 and 9 pm GMT+1! (UTC+1)! ;)


End file.
